All it took was one soundbite for Martin Scorsese and Marvel to be inextricably linked forevermore, even if that was the opposite of the legendary filmmaker’s intention. Wherever his bushy brows go, superhero cinema tends to follow closely behind, which makes it all the more entertaining to compare and contrast.
As much as the mastermind behind a quite frankly ludicrous number of classics tends to decry the way Hollywood’s obsession with IP has spiraled out of control, it’s well worth remembering that a Scorsese picture these days costs about the same as a tentpole Marvel Studios production.
The Irishman came in at a reported $159 million – although some estimated have pegged it as high as $200 million – while Killers of the Flower Moon is a $200 million film. That’s the same as the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the former’s opening weekend box office numbers aren’t even on a par with Morbius.
Of course, there’s a hefty element of apples-to-oranges in play, but Christopher Nolan’s near-$950 million juggernaut Oppenheimer showed that R-rated dramas touching three hours can take off among casual audiences, but Killers of the Flower Moon isn’t going to have any such luck. Opening in over 3600 theaters, Scorsese’s latest acclaimed stint behind the camera is set to debut in second place behind Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert film with a first frame in the $20-30 million range.
By comparison, Morbius snatched $39 million and cost less than half as much to make, and it might even fall behind the $22 million of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in the worst case scenario, which would be quite something.
