Marvel Cancels Three Entire Franchises? New Report Sounds Like The Right Decision

However, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige would like to see Eternals 2 get made. Eternals was released in late 2021 and earned over $402 million worldwide, which is decent but relatively low compared to other MCU films. The film received mixed reviews from critics and currently holds a 47 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Viewers were more appreciative of the Eternals, as evidenced by its 77 percent audience score. Despite the divisive reception, the movie introduced new characters and ideas to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which could have implications for future films. It’s difficult to predict how a sequel would perform, but it will likely attract attention from superhero fans.

The 2015 Ant-Man film performed well at the box office, with the first film earning over $500 million worldwide. But the 2023 threequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, only managed over $400 million. The film was considered a financial disappointment as it fell short of its reported break-even point of $600 million. The critical response to the movie was mixed, with just 46 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Released in 2019, Captain Marvel had a solid opening weekend with a debut of $153 million domestically. It went on to achieve significant success, surpassing the $1 billion mark globally. The movie received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences who praised its entertaining story and characters.

By contrast, its sequel, The Marvels, faced challenges at the box office. The film had the worst opening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe history, debuting with $46 million domestically. It also underperformed globally, earning just $206 million against a production budget of $274.8 million. Reviews were mixed, with some appreciating the chemistry of the leads, while others criticized its cluttered story and tonal shifts.

What Disney needs to realize is that Marvel took a huge risk when it created its Cinematic Universe. Without the film rights to some of its most iconic superheroes — like Spider-Man, X-Men, and Fantastic Four — the studio focused on lesser-known characters such as Iron Man and Thor, successfully transforming them into household names.

If Marvel, under Disney’s directive, shifts its focus towards more guaranteed successes, it implies a likelihood of expedited releases for sequels like Doctor Strange 3, Black Panther 3, and Thor 5, given their consistent track record at the box office. A sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which was a rare theatrical success during the global pandemic, is also in the works.

Shang-Chi 2 will see Simu Liu reprising his role as the titular character, with Destin Daniel Cretton returning as writer and director. Scheduled for a 2025 production start, the Marvel movie is rumored to incorporate elements of time travel and introduce Iron Fist, although specifics regarding the version of the character remain undisclosed.