Even though the theatrical industry is still suffering from the lingering effects of the pandemic, Marvel Comics adaptations have proven to be about as bulletproof as it gets, something that’s continued through to the release of this weekend’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
As the single most popular brand in the industry, it’s not a coincidence that Spider-Man: No Way Home, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Black Widow, Eternals, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings all rank among the top-earning releases to hit cinemas since the beginning of 2020, although we should pour one out for Morbius while we’re at it.
Sam Raimi’s sequel might be dropping in the estimation of critics, but it’s soaring spectacularly at the box office, and it could be in with a shot at landing one of the 10 biggest debuts of all-time. Having busted blocks already through Thursday previews, Multiverse of Madness is estimated to have racked up a mind-blowing $90 million yesterday, with the very low end of projections now placing the MCU’s 28th installment at at least $180-190 million across its first three days.
However, if it manages to get above $191 million, then it’ll overtake Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jon Favreau’s The Lion King on the historical Top 10 to land in at least eighth place, with Black Panther in seventh after hauling in $202 million back in February 2018.
If that happens, then Marvel Studios landing two of the 10 highest hauls ever in the midst of a global health crisis will only reinforce the cinematic universe’s lead over the competition to an unassailable degree.