The Marvels set for box office disaster despite $220 million budget

The Marvels is on track to break a record for the lowest ever opening weekend in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Marvels is on track to record the lowest opening weekend for an MCU films. Picture: Marvel Studios

The Marvels is on track to record the lowest ever opening weekend for an MCU film, despite an eye-watering $US220 million ($346 million) budget.

Starring Brie Larson, The Marvels made its release in the US on Friday November 10, as the 33rd film in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film, directed by Nia DaCosta, sees Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) team up as an unlikely trio to try to save the universe.

The Marvels is on track to be a box office bomb. Picture: Marvel Studios

However, despite the 2019 success of Captain Marvel, the sequel earnt just $US21.5 million ($31.8 million) on its Friday opening night, Variety reports, and is projected to earn $US47-52 million ($74-82 million) across its opening weekend.

The figures are lower than the opening weekend for Marvel’s 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, which recorded the lowest opening weekend earnings of $US55.4 million (not adjusted for inflation).

The Marvels is up against tough competition with horror hit Five Nights At Freddy’s currently airing in cinemas after itraked in $US78 million ($123 million) over its opening weekend.

It doesn’t help that the film has been savaged by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Marvels currently has a 62 per cent critic rating and an 85 per cent audience score.

‘The worst MCU movie yet.’ Picture: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Disney

A scathing review by the NY Post labelled the film “abject misery” and “the worst MCU movie yet”.

“The interminable movie, barely directed by Nia DaCosta, is not so much the story of Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel and Monica Rambeau as it is a sad study of the downfall of America’s favourite screen franchise,” it read.

“Once again, we get an MCU film that’s littered with insider technobabble and is impossible to follow. Once again, we get an MCU film featuring characters we don’t care a lick about even though they beg us to.”

It concluded, “Is there anything good about The Marvels? Yes, there is. At one hour and 45 minutes, it is the shortest MCU movie ever made.”

The Marvels released in Australian cinemas on November 9.

Originally published as The Marvels set for box office disaster despite $220 million budget