What Were The Lowest-Grossing Movies In The MCU? (2024)

In the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's easy to assume that each film will become a box office hit. History, however, has proven this presumption to be wrong. While no MCU movie has ever failed to make back its budget and generate additional revenue (until recently), several films have fallen short of box office expectations.

That being said, box office success doesn't necessarily equate to the overall quality of a film. Timing a release just right is critical, and missing the ideal window for a movie can severely hamper its results. Thankfully, reviews, audience ratings, and box office figures can provide valuable insight into the overall success of these less heralded and sometimes forgotten-about films in the MCU canon.

10 Iron Man

Iron Man

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

8

10

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Release Date

May 2, 2008

Director

Jon Favreau

Cast

Robert Downey Jr. , gwyneth paltrow , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges , Leslie Bibb , Shaun Toub

Runtime

126 minutes

Main Genre

superheroes

Writers

Mark Fergus , Hawk Ostby , Art Marcum , Matt Holloway

Studio

Marvel Studios

​

The MCU's journey began in 2008 with a gamble called Iron Man. Despite surprisingly not reaching the billion-dollar mark that some fans might have assumed the progenitor of such a successful film franchise would achieve, the film's $585.8 Million worldwide gross was nothing to shake a stick at.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark laid the foundation for what would come, making Iron Man not just a movie but one of the most important cultural touchstones of the past generation. Looking back, its $140 Million budget was a fraction of current Marvel productions, which underlines the film's incredible success. It might not be the highest-grossing MCU film ever, but it's arguably the most important.

9 Ant-Man

Ant-Man

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Superhero

Sci-Fi

6

10

Release Date

July 17, 2015

Director

Peyton Reed

Cast

Paul Rudd , Michael Douglas , Corey Stoll , Evangeline Lilly , Bobby Cannavale , Anthony Mackie

Runtime

117 minutes

Main Genre

Superhero

Studio

Marvel

With a relatively modest $130 Million budget, Ant-Man still managed to carve out its niche from the MCU. Despite the film's lower stakes, Paul Rudd's performance as Scott Lang captivated audiences and ensured that the rewatchable factor for this film was remarkably high.

Not every MCU film can hinge on the universe's fate, and Ant-Man showed that there was a charm to be mined out of a more intimate, character-driven affair. Despite a troubled production history that included director Edgar Wright dropping out to be replaced by Peyton Reed, this film still managed to pull in a worldwide gross of $519 Million, proving that success can come in many different sizes.

8 Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

PG-13

Superhero

Action

7

10

Release Date

February 17, 2023

Director

Peyton Reed

Cast

Paul Rudd , Evangeline Lilly , Jonathan Majors , Kathryn Newton , Michael Douglas , Michelle Pfeiffer , David Dastmalchian , Bill Murray , Corey Stoll

Runtime

124 Minutes

Writers

jeff loveness

Studio

Marvel Studios

Franchise

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Prequel

Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp

Cinematographer

William Pope

Producer

Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard

Production Company

Marvel Studios

The third installment in the Ant-Man series, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, fell short of the financial, critical, and audience demands set by its predecessors. With a hefty $200 Million budget, the film earned just $476 Million, making it the MCU's biggest box office disappointment relative to expectations.

Context, however, is essential. Ant-Manand the Wasp: Quantumania was released shortly after the coronavirus pandemic. So, it is hard to know whether superhero fatigue was responsible for this failure or that it was simply a result of the world still growing accustomed to returning to movie theaters. Regardless, the film failed to match the success of the previous entries, and not even the introduction of Kang the Conquerer could propel this film to the necessary heights.

7 Thor

Thor

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Fantasy

7

10

The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

Release Date

May 6, 2011

Director

Kenneth Branagh

Cast

Chris Hemsworth , Natalie Portman , Tom Hiddleston , Kat Dennings , Stellan Skarsgård , Idris Elba , Clark Gregg , Colm Feore

Runtime

115 minutes

Main Genre

Superhero

Writers

Ashley Miller , Zack Stentz , Don Payne , J. Michael Straczynski , Mark Protosevich

Directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, the first Thor unfolds like a Shakespearean drama set within the fantastical realms of Asgard and Midgard. Centered on the familial conflicts of Thor, Loki, and Odin, the film's stellar performances didn't entirely lead to broader success.

With a $150 Million budget, the film ultimately earned nearly $450 Million at the box office, a figure that its subsequent sequels would surpass. While Thor's box office figures might pale compared to later MCU entries, solid reviews and positive word of mouth led to commendable financial success, especially when contrasted against the other early films in the MCU.

6 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

PG-13

superheroes

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

7

10

Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.

Release Date

September 3, 2021

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Cast

Simu Liu , Awkwafina , Tony Leung Chiu Wai , Ben Kingsley , Meng'er Zhang , Fala Chen

Runtime

132 minutes

Main Genre

superheroes

Writers

Dave Callaham , Destin Daniel Cretton , Andrew Lanham

In 2021, the MCU began to face real challenges at the box office, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proved to be the canary in the coal mine. Released at the height of the pandemic, the film garnered generally positive reviews but struggled to find viewers to fill seats due to pandemic-related concerns.

Shang-Chi's relative obscurity as a character also undoubtedly contributed to this lack of financial success. A lighthearted tone and exciting visuals didn't do much to help, and this film failed to reach its ideal box-office numbers, even if some consider it one of the franchise's most underrated gems.

5 Eternals

Eternals

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Superhero

7

10

The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.

Release Date

November 5, 2021

Director

Chloé Zhao

Cast

Angelina Jolie , Gemma Chan , Richard Madden , Salma Hayek , Kit Harington , Kumail Nanjiani , Lia McHugh , Brian Tyree Henry

Runtime

156 minutes

Main Genre

Superhero

Writers

Chloé Zhao , Patrick Burleigh , Ryan Firpo

Much like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals was also released amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting it behind the eight-ball from the start in achieving the MCU's customary box office success. Directed by Chloé Zhao and boasting a star-studded cast including Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, and Richard Madden, Eternals carried high expectations that it failed to meet.

Eternals' complex narrative and lack of audience familiarity didn't help, resulting in the film falling short of the half-a-billion mark. Unlike Shang-Chi, negative reviews from critics and audiences alike no doubt dampened its reception. Many fans felt the story might have been better served as a television series. Ultimately, Eternals failed in more ways than just box office returns.

4 Black Widow

Black Widow

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

9

10

Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

Release Date

July 9, 2021

Director

Cate Shortland

Cast

Scarlett Johansson , Florence Pugh , Rachel Weisz , David Harbour

Runtime

134 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Eric Pearson , Jac Schaeffer , Ned Benson

Perhaps no MCU film's box-office success is more complicated to parse than Black Widow. Released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ during the pandemic, the film's box office fate stands as a stark reminder of the impact timing can have on a movie's success. Moreover, the film arrived after Black Widow had already been killed off during the events of Avengers: Endgame, leaving fans less invested in this story set during the fallout of Captain America: Civil War.

Despite being Scarlett Johansson's long-awaited solo adventure, Black Widow also suffered from sharing its spotlight with several new characters like Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, and the Red Guardian, played by David Harbour. With a worldwide haul of $379 Million against a $200 Million budget, it's hard to call Black Widow a failure, especially with everything it was up against, but it was undoubtedly a financial disappointment.

3 Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

6

10

Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.

Release Date

July 22, 2011

Director

Joe Johnston

Cast

Chris Evans , Haley Atwell , Sebastian Stan , Samuel L. Jackson , Hugo Weaving , Stanley Tucci

Runtime

124 minutes

Main Genre

Superhero

Writers

Christopher Markus , Stephen McFeely , Joe Simon

Studio

Marvel

Captain America might have had a pivotal role in shaping the MCU, but his first solo adventure remains one of the franchise's least financially successful entries. Set primarily during World War II, the film's historical setting potentially contributed to its failure to connect to modern-day audiences.

With a budget of $140 Million, Captain America: The First Avenger earned $370 Million worldwide. While not considered a failure at its release, those numbers would cause significant hand-wringing if it happened to a Marvel property today. That being said, those metrics were still good enough to make this film one of the highest-grossing WWII films ever made, which gives this movie historical significance within the MCU.

2 The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

Superhero

6

10

Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.

Release Date

June 13, 2008

Director

Louis Leterrier

Cast

Edward Norton , Liv Tyler , Tim Roth , William Hurt

Runtime

112 minutes

Main Genre

superheroes

Writers

Zak Penn , Stan Lee , Jack Kirby

Studio

NBC Universal

Easily the most forgotten-about entry in the MCU, The Incredible Hulk continues to feel detached from the rest of the franchise, mainly due to Edward Norton's one-off performance as Bruce Banner. Featuring a distinctly different take than Mark Ruffalo would later adopt, Norton's presence in this film can't help but make the movie feel like a misfit toy in the MCU playchest.

Directed by Louis Leterrier, the film received mixed reviews and only amassed $264 Million at the global box office. That type of performance wasn't a red flag back in 2008. Still, there's almost no question arriving just five years after Ang Lee's interpretation of the Hulk's origins hampered financial returns. Unlike its fellow Phase One counterparts, this film failed to produce a sequel, cementing its place as a unique, if not unfortunate, entry in the MCU canon.

1 The Marvels

The Marvels

PG-13

Adventure

Fantasy

7

10

Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.

Release Date

November 10, 2023

Director

Nia DaCosta

Cast

Brie Larson , Samuel L. Jackson , Iman Vellani , Zawe Ashton

Runtime

1 Hour 45 Minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Nia DaCosta , Megan McDonnell , Elissa Karasik

Production Company

Marvel Studios, The Walt Disney Company

The Marvels recently secured the distinction of becoming the lowest-grossing entry in the MCU to date. Released in 2023 as a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, the film's connection to Disney+ shows like Ms. Marvel and WandaVision failed to bring in a more extensive audience base, and the film struggled to break the $200 Million barrier worldwide.

With a budget of $220 Million, The Marvels faced challenges exacerbated by superhero fatigue and a lackluster year for the movies thanks to events like the WGA and SAG strikes. The film's significant drop in box office numbers, especially in its second weekend, marked an apparent downturn in audience interest. Warranted or not, The Marvels earned records for the lowest opening weekend in MCU history and the worst overall box office performance in the franchise's history, cementing it as the number one spot on this list.