Captain America: Brave New World's box office performance is raising concerns. While the film has grossed nearly $300 million globally, a significant 68% drop in domestic revenue during its second weekend casts doubt on its ability to reach profitability.
According to Deadline, the film's $180 million production budget necessitates a global box office gross of approximately $425 million to break even. Despite exceeding expectations with a $100 million domestic opening weekend, the $28.2 million earned in its second weekend mirrors the steep decline experienced by 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which ultimately failed to recoup its costs.
After two weekends, Captain America: Brave New World has grossed an estimated $289.4 million worldwide ($141.2 million domestically and $148.2 million internationally), adding $63.5 million in its second weekend. While currently the biggest theatrical release of 2025, the substantial second-weekend drop is concerning. Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted to Variety that this significant decline reflects less audience enthusiasm than typically seen with Marvel films, suggesting a potential "new normal" for the franchise. Deadline projects a final global gross of around $450 million.
The film's launch coincided with largely negative critical reception. IGN's review awarded it a 5/10, criticizing its lack of originality and underwhelming plot despite strong performances from the cast.
Marvel Studios and Disney are hoping for a strong box office rebound to counter the recent underperformance of MCU films (excluding the successful Deadpool & Wolverine). The success of Captain America: Brave New World is crucial for building momentum leading into Thunderbolts in May and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.
