It’s hard to believe that in just over a month we’ll finally get to lay eyes on Captain Marvel, which aims to expand the cosmic side of the MCU and will apparently set the stage for much of what’s to come after Avengers: Endgame. Thing is, though, the hype train for the film has cooled down just a little in recent weeks.
Quite frankly, it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly that is. Maybe it’s because the footage we’ve seen so far has struggled to convey just what the character’s about. Or perhaps it’s in danger of being eclipsed by Endgame. Or maybe there’s just a bit of origin story fatigue creeping into moviegoers. Whatever the case, it doesn’t look like the studio has anything to worry about, as analysts are still predicting that Captain Marvel will do big business at the box office, with the current estimate being a $160 million opening.
To put that figure into an MCU context, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 posted a strong $146.5 million debut, and Captain America: Civil War’s first weekend brought in a very impressive $179.1 million. In other words, if CM truly does land at $160 million, it’d make the folks at Marvel Studios very, very happy.
Of course, one of the main reasons people will be inclined to check this one out is because it’s set to be the MCU’s first female-led superhero movie, with the success of 2017’s Wonder Woman serving as precedent. Throw in Oscar-winner Brie Larson alongside franchise regulars like Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg, and it’s easy to see how Captain Marvel has some real commercial potential. Not to mention that the film’s connections to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame are no doubt helping the movie earn a higher “must see” factor.
Captain Marvel is already the MCU’s third-biggest pre-seller on Fandango, falling behind only Infinity War and Black Panther, so clearly it’s poised for a big opening. And while we think $160 million seems a touch on the high side, especially since the hype train’s died down a bit over the last few months, it still looks like the studio has another bonafide hit on their hands here.