Can superheroes save cinema? According to “The Marvels,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that debuted earlier this month with the lowest opening weekend in MCU history, it’s not likely. The sequel to “Captain Marvel” sees Brie Larson reprise her role as the titular superhero to save the universe but few seemed to care. Projected to make $60 to $80 million in its first weekend, “The Marvels” made only about half of that at $47 million — compared to the first movie raking in $153.4 million in 2019.
MCU movies are typically instant money-makers which makes “The Marvels” – alongside “Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” another box office flop from this year – peculiar. Some speculate it’s superhero fatigue; others wonder if the MCU fanbase is getting too old. But an overlooked trend indicates it's neither: The standard superhero narrative is failing because people no longer trust in saviors. Instead, satirical, antihero superheroes are on the rise.
