Ant-Man 3 and 4 other Marvel movies that did lukewarm business at box office

Marvel movies are usually expected to have a good run at the box office, but sadly that wasn't the case for Ant-Man 3 released in February 2023. In the opening weekend, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania pulled a promising $280 million worldwide, but took a substantial hit in the second weekend.

Even the anticipated introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), set to become the next major villain in MCU after Thanos, couldn't help elevate its box office numbers.

At the end of its theatrical run, the box office haul only amounted to around $473 million worldwide, which pales in comparison to Black Panther, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Captain Marvel, Iron Man 3, Captain America: Civil War and the Avengers movies that made billions.

But this is not the first time that a Marvel movie has underperformed at the box office.

5 Marvel movies that fell short at the box office

1) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) - $473 million

Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd, is a fairly popular Marvel superhero, but the franchise as a whole has been a low earner at the box office. Ant-Man (2015) earned a total of around $500 million. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) earned around $620 million, thanks to its connections to Avengers: Infinity War.

Earning only around $473 million worldwide, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is expected to join the ranks of the lowest-grossing Marvel movies ever made.

2) Thor (2011) - $449 million

Grossing only around $449 million, Thor is far from the top earners in MCU. This may be surprising since Thor has amassed a huge fan following over the years. His iconic entry in Wakanda during the battle scene of Avengers: Infinity War will forever be imprinted on the minds of Marvel movie fans.

However, when Thor was released, many didn't know much about this Norse god. Not only that, but it also had one of the lowest movie ratings in the MCU. Surprisingly that didn't stop people from watching it. Although it doesn't compare to a lot of other Marvel movies, Thor earning $449 million is still impressive, given the circumstances.

3) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021) - $432 million

This Marvel movie earned around $432 million. As the first Marvel movie to feature an Asian lead, Simu Liu, there was considerable hype before the release of the movie. However, it introduced a character who was relatively unknown to a lot of people which could be one of the reasons behind the low earning.

Another factor that affected the box office collection was the Covid-19 pandemic. Many moviegoers were apprehensive about watching the movie in theaters because it raised the risk of infection.

Although the movie did not make it big at the box office, it is still an entertaining watch offering all the elements that Marvel movie fans love - witty humor, exciting action scenes, and a solid plot.

4) Black Widow (2021) - $379.7 Million

There was a lot of buzz around Black Widow but it only earned around $379.7 million at the box office. When the movie was announced, it made a lot of fans happy as they were eager to see Natasha again, especially after the character's death in Avengers: Endgame.

But, due to its simultaneous release, a lot of people preferred to stream the movie instead of heading to the theaters which heavily affected its box office earnings.

The main lead, Scarlett Johansson, even filed a lawsuit. She accused Disney of breaching her contract by releasing the movie on the Disney+ streaming service while it was still showing in theaters. Although the legal dispute was amicably resolved, the box office numbers still took a hit nonetheless.

5) The Incredible Hulk (2008) - $264.7 Million

Earning only $264.7 million, The Incredible Hulk is the lowest-grossing movie in the MCU. It is also the only film in the franchise to fall in the $200 million range. Hulk as a superhero is popular, but many Marvel movie fans seem to prefer Mark Ruffalo's version of Bruce Banner as compared to that of Edward Norton.

It also didn't help that the movie came out just months after the release of Iron Man, and didn't have the same impact in terms of entertainment. That being said, it's not a bad movie, but it doesn't quite compare to some of the other blockbuster hits in the MCU.

While it is true that many Marvel movies have performed exceptionally at the box office, not every film in the MCU has been able to rise to the same standards. Even though these 5 Marvel movies haven't quite hit the mark in terms of box office collections, don't let that discourage you as they are still worth the watch.

About the author

Meeta is a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda who specializes in listicles. After graduating with English Honors, she began her professional journey in content with Engyne Systems and later joined Digicaptions as an English Editor. Meeta’s next career milestone was joining Eclectic Northeast, where she climbed the ranks from a Feature Writer to Assistant Editor. Her decade-long industry experience and personal interest in all things popular culture eventually helped her identify her expertise and led her to her current role at Sportskeeda.

For Meeta, her myriad industry roles have trained her in carrying out intensive research, content planning and editing. She believes her skills shine brightest when ideating entertainment and pop culture pieces that pique readers’ interests. To deliver on this, she relies on extensive research and acquires ample information on a topic before developing a story on it.

Fully aware of the ever-evolving entertainment sphere, Meeta strives to keep up with the latest developments in the field to ensure her reportage is always relevant. She always relies on her judgment to navigate sensitive information to prevent negatively impacting the reading experience, while simultaneously retaining accuracy and objectivity.

Meeta’s favorite artist is Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, who is a master storyteller in her eyes for his ability to invite viewers to read between the lines. When not brainstorming a new piece, Meeta can be found traveling or preparing for her next trip. Meeta is deeply invested in board games as well, and has even started a board game club with her friends.

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Edited by Vinay Agrawal