While the MCU‘s box office results seem to be dwindling, Marvel’s upcoming projects promise to flip the trend soon. The MCU is a Hollywood behemoth, with more than $32.2 billion gathered in seventeen years, not counting TV profits. As of 2025, Avengers: Secret Wars, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home remain in the top ten highest-grossing movies of all time.

After Avengers: Endgame‘s resounding success, the MCU has struggled to reach the same heights throughout its second saga. Phases 4 and 5 faced several obstacles, from delays to recastings and significant changes in the studio’s plans. Unfortunately, not even critically acclaimed entries have been able to secure good results at the box office recently.

Marvel Studios’ Tried-And-True Tools Are No Longer Infallible

While disappointing, it’s easy to see why box office flops like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels failed to live up to expectations. Their main characters and concepts didn’t have the same pull as those of an Avengers or a Spider-Man movie, and their execution didn’t help. Quantumania and The Marvels‘ lack of connections to other MCU тιтles only added to their commercial failure.

However, Marvel’s most reliable formulae have also proved vulnerable. Team-ups and crossovers seemed to be a box office shortcut, yet Thunderbolts* underperformed. Top-tier brand recognition and A-list talent also seemed to be infallible tools, yet The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ dramatic second-weekend drop has proved otherwise. Not even Marvel’s First Family has been able to bring the MCU’s box office back to its heyday.

Ten years ago, high-concept events like Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps had the potential to cross the $1 billion mark. Now, as Kevin Feige’s recent comments on the MCU suggest, Marvel needs to adapt to its current landscape. Instead of focusing on raising the bar in scale and scope, Marvel may need to start minimizing risks.

The MCU’s Track Record Suggests Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars May Still Be Mᴀssive Hits Anyway

Following the disappointing performance of recent blockbusters like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel will likely take a new approach to its projects. However, before Marvel tests a new strategy, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are bound to be box office hits by brand name alone. Both crossover events are the first Avengers movies since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars‘ positive prospects are backed up by seasoned MCU directors, writers, and stars, many of whom participated in prior Marvel hits. Similar cinematic events like Spider-Man: No Way Home and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine have defied negative box office trends for the same reason. At least for now, the MCU seems shielded from commercial failure.

Marvel’s New Formula Will Likely Start Right After Secret Wars

As confirmed by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s upcoming X-Men reboot will have a full cast of brand-new actors, all on the younger side. Jake Schreier’s X-Men movie and other Phase 7 тιтles might also have a lower budget and a considerably smaller scope. Besides helping each movie and show focus on quality, smaller budgets would also help miminize the impact of underperforming releases.

Smaller MCU projects also reduce the frequency of common production issues like reshoots, delays, numerous edits, and poor visual effects, many of which affected recent movies like Captain America: Brave New World. And fortunately for the franchise, the MCU‘s new formula may launch right after must-watch cinematic events like Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Secret Wars.