Captain America: Brave New World releases on February 14 and will need to make a substantial sum for the MCU to break even against its budget. While the only MCU release of 2024 earned a record-breaking figure for Marvel, there is a certain air of trepidation surrounding the release of Sam Wilson’s first solo outing as the тιтular Captain America. While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier saw Wilson accept the role bequeathed by Steve Rogers after much deliberation, it now falls to the public both in-universe and in reality to express the same confidence in Steve’s chosen successor.

Captain America: Brave New World does, at least, boast a stacked cast. Harrison Ford debuts as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who will transform into the fiery Red Hulk for the first time. Joining him is Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, AKA the Leader, and Giancarlo Esposito’s Seth Voelker, AKA Sidewinder, with all three set to pose a significant threat to the new, serum-deprived Cap. Major Captain America: Brave New World plot reveals, like the introduction of adamantium, means it will be a consequential installment to the Multiverse Saga, but whether that brings the numbers remains to be seen.

Captain America: Brave New World’s Budget Was $180 Million

This Makes It The Second-Most Expensive Captain America Movie

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Captain America: Brave New World‘s budget is $180 million. This places it on the lower end of the scale for MCU productions, sitting at the same level as Thor: Ragnarok but below last year’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine and the MCU’s debut movie, Iron Man. It is around half the budget of Captain America: Civil War but slightly more than Cap’s first two movies. Captain America: The First Avenger is one of the lowest-grossing and lowest-budget MCU movies, grossing $371 million globally and costing just $140 million.

It’s no surprise that Captain America: Brave New World’s budget exceeds those of Steve Rogers’ first two movies. Trailer footage reveals plenty of high-octane and CGI-heavy action sequences including Captain America’s airborne fight in the vicinity of the gargantuan Celestial body and his highly publicized tussle with Red Hulk in Washington DC. Captain America: Brave New World has also been subject to multiple reshoots, though it is worth noting that this is standard practice for most if not all MCU movies. The involvement of big names like Harrison Ford, meanwhile, will also impact the bottom line.

How Much Captain America: Brave New World Needs For Box Office Success

The General Rule Is Double The Production Budget

While Captain America: Brave New World cost $180 to make, it will need to make significantly more than this to break even. This is after considering post-production costs like marketing, with which Captain America: Brave New World has been especially active over the last few months. With that in mind, Captain America: Brave New World can be considered a success if and when it earns $360 million. This adheres to the general rule that a movie is considered a success when it grosses double its production budget.

This means Captain America: Brave New World needs to match Captain America: The First Avenger, the lowest-grossing Captain America movie and the third-lowest-grossing MCU movie, to be successful. While this seems particularly attainable in the modern era of the MCU where Captain America is now a household name, it’s worth noting that The Marvels, which was released in 2023, remains the MCU’s biggest flop, grossing just $200 million worldwide against a budget of $270 million. Marvel Studios will no doubt wish to avoid replicating this with its latest movie. Thankfully, the prognosis looks relatively positive.

How Much Captain America: Brave New World Needs Is Projected To Make At The Box Office

Things Look Positive For The Opening Weekend

According to a new report from ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Captain America: Brave New World is projected to earn $94 million in its opening weekend and $190 million globally, which would cover its production budget in the first weekend alone. If projections prove accurate, this would place Captain America: Brave New World in the same vicinity as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which opened to $95 million, and far ahead of Captain America: The First Avenger, which opened to $65 million. While this falls short of the $135 million average for MCU movies, it sets Captain America: Brave New World in good stead to be profitable.

Threatening this success is the possibility of a significant drop in theater attendance following the opening weekend. Initial reviews for Captain America: Brave New World are mixed, and an increase in general dissatisfaction could lead to a box office dip. Then again, the MCU’s lowest-rated movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, still raked in $460 million worldwide, suggesting that even mixed reviews shouldn’t spell doom for Captain America: Brave New World. It stands to reason that Marvel will want more than a break-even result, but it at least looks like it will avoid replicating The Marvels‘ unfortunate results.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  
  February 14, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, The Numbers, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline