Summary
There are numerous movies fromMarvel Studiosthis year. One of them is very promising and it could potentially reclaim MCU’s glamour.
ThreeMCUfilms are coming out in 2025 —Captain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts*andThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.Captain Americais still showing and the next one will be out in a little over two months, while the third one will be released in July. However, the one coming up next is promising based on the screening reports.
Thunderboltsis the next MCU film to come out.Captain America: Brave New Worldhad a great opening weekend, but its performance at thebox office dropped by 68% for its second week. Based on a new report,Thunderboltsis likely to perform better based on its test screening ratings. “Thunderboltsis a beast of a film and has scored extremely high in its test screenings, earning some of the highest scores among all Phase 5 films,” the test screening reports read,per Max Blizz. The test screenings for the film, led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belva were reportedly very positive. In a previous interview, Pugh shared themassive stunt she did for the film. TheBlack Widowstar said she jumped off the “second tallest building in the world.” She also described the film as “so wonderful and bizarre.”
Thunderbolts*test screening reports are in huge contrast to that ofCaptain America: Brave New World. An insider previously claimedCaptain Americawasdoing numerous reshoots because of negative test screenings. The reception was reportedly mixed, with many describing it “inessential” and “flat.” So, many were surprised that it did well in its weekend opening. However, the mixed reviews from critics after watching the movie didn’t help keep the momentum because there was a significant decline in the tickets sold a week later. Some viewers said it was a mistake that the production team involved Red Hulk in the marketing and promo materials because he would have been the biggest twist in the film.Hideo Kojima, the video game designer behindMetal Gear SolidandDeath Stranding,was also confused after watching the movie because he wasn’t sure when Anthony Mackie’s Sam became the official Captain America. Overall, some audiences were confused and disappointed after watchingBrave New World.
The positive test screening reports forThunderboltsare promising. Several MCU movies have failed to meet expectations in the past, includingAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania(2023), which received a steep drop in box office earnings andThe Marvels(2023), which had the worst opening weekend in MCU history. Some even felt that Marvel ended withEndgamebecause nothing as good was released after that. It’s necessary for the next film to be a critical and commercial success for Marvel to rebuild fan trust.Captain America: Brave New Worldsomewhat reignited fan enthusiasm but failed to keep the momentum. Marvel films used to be guaranteed box office hits, and if the upcoming movies continue to underperform, the future of MCU might be bleak. MCU is definitely not dead, but it’s visibly at a critical turning point. Thus, it’s essential forThunderboltsto perform well and win back audiences. With strong storytelling, better character development, and effective audience engagement, the MCU can thrive again.
