With Marvel’s Phase 5 now complete, its total box office performance, marked by several flop movies, is drawing comparisons to earlier MCU phases. Despite major releases like Deadpool & Wolverine and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the overall earnings fall below those of Phase 1.
Four Marvel Phase 5 movies failed to break even at box office
Marvel’s Phase 5 has generated $3.66 billion worldwide as of July 2025, falling short of Phase 1’s $3.81 billion total. While titles like Deadpool & Wolverine crossed the $1.3 billion mark and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earned around $845.6 million (via Box Office Mojo), several entries underperformed at the box office and faced critical challenges.
The Marvels grossed $206 million globally against a $370 million+ budget (via Forbes). Despite a $55 million subsidy in production budget, it failed to reach even close to its break-even point. The movie holds a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score and got a B on CinemaScore.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania earned $476 million globally, having a reported $300 million+ production and marketing budget (via Variety). So with a break-even point close to $600 million, it definitely fell short. Rotten Tomatoes rated it 46% Rotten based on 412 reviews, and it got a B on CinemaScore. Its portrayal of Kang as a major villain faced scrutiny from fans after the character was defeated in his debut appearance.
Captain America: Brave New World made $415.1 million globally on a reported $180 million production budget. More could have been spent on reshoots and marketing. Its break-even point was said to be $425 million, and it ended its box office run before reaching that. The movie received a 47% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- on CinemaScore. Reviews cited issues with pacing and political plotting.
Thunderbolts* reached $381.9 million worldwide, doubling its $180 million reported budget. However, despite holding an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A– on CinemaScore, it failed to reach its $425 break-even point due to multiple reasons.
Phase 5 is the first to generate a lower total box office than Phase 1, hinting that superhero and Marvel fatigue have really kicked in. Now, Phase 6, which will possibly launch the lowest number of Marvel movies ever, will have an uphill battle to fight. But results may not be the same, as the upcoming projects include The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which are amongst the most anticipated Marvel movies.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.
