Looking at the facts and figures, it’s hard to call Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania underachieving on a critical and commercial level a surprise, when the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to have been on a concerted downward trajectory since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.
In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame busting blocks and racking up astronomical box office numbers and widespread enthusiasm, the franchise has then seen all seven of its subsequent releases rack up the seven worst second-weekend drops the brand has ever experienced.
Phases Four and Five have also conspired to deliver all three of the lowest-rated installments on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a trio of its least popular titles in terms of a CinemaScore rating. That all combines to indicate the MCU is losing its rewatch value, with repeat visits to the multiplex and the desire to revisit the newest offerings as soon as they hit streaming and on-demand beginning to dissipate.
While that’s to be expected when Quantumania marked the 31st feature-length chapter in the long-running superhero sandbox, it’s also a huge concern that the MCU keeps ticking off unwanted benchmarks and hitting new record lows with such consistency, especially when it’s all come as part of the Multiverse Saga.
The wheels are going to keep on turning regardless, but the decline needs to be arrested sooner rather than later, and the irony shouldn’t be lost on anyone that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 stands the best chance of doing it.
Published: Apr 21, 2023 02:52 am