Marvel’s Latest Film Opens Strong Amid Superhero Fatigue Debate

This weekend saw the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which attracted audiences with the promise of a concluding chapter in the beloved franchise. The film garnered $114 million from 4,450 North American locations, according to studio estimates.

Internationally, it opened in 51 territories (excluding China) and earned $168 million, resulting in a total global debut of $282 million. Domestically, while this opening is commendable, it falls short of expectations set by previous Marvel films. For example, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earned $187.4 million during the same weekend last year, buoyed by the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also opened to over $181.3 million in November.

This year has seen a more subdued performance for superhero films. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opened with just over $106 million and reached a total of $474 million worldwide, while Shazam! Fury of the Gods from DC/Warner Bros. managed only $133.4 million in total. Analysts are now questioning whether this trend reflects a specific character’s appeal or a wider issue of “superhero fatigue.”

Guardians Vol. 3 displaced The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which had enjoyed four weekends at the top, marking the start of the summer movie season—a crucial time for Hollywood that typically runs through Labour Day and can account for as much as 40% of a year’s box office revenues.

The next significant superhero film on the horizon is DC’s The Flash, due for release on June 16, which comes with its own controversies due to lead actor Ezra Miller’s legal troubles.

Returning for this instalment are notable actors including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel. While reviews have been generally positive, they are somewhat more divided compared to earlier films in the series. It is also challenging to compare pre-pandemic openings, such as Vol. 2’s $146 million debut in May 2017, with those from the post-pandemic landscape.

Vol. 3 signifies James Gunn’s final contribution to the Guardians and Marvel, as he pivots to lead DC Studios.

In box office standings, The Super Mario Bros. Movie took second place with an additional $18.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $518.1 million and exceeding $1.1 billion globally. Coming in third was Evil Dead Rise with $5.7 million, followed by Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret in fourth with $3.4 million, both films maintaining solid holdover performances.

While the weekend was primarily reserved for the superhero blockbuster, Screen Gems and Sony also released the romantic comedy Love Again, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, featuring new songs from Celine Dion. This film opened modestly, earning $2.4 million and securing the fifth position.