While The Marvels being moved from July to November instantly created panic among the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom after Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania landed with a thud among critics and general audiences, the reason behind the delay is fairly simple.
Given the fluctuating nature of the Phase Four and Five calendar due to the pandemic and other behind the scenes issues, it makes complete sense that the MCU and Disney wouldn’t want the franchise’s final film of the year to release in July. By pushing Brie Larson’s sequel back, there’s plenty of breathing room between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the next cosmic caper.
However, the Mouse House could end up shooting itself in the foot as a result, with animated musical Wish providing a potential roadblock. On the surface it seems innocuous enough, but both will be aiming to secure a virtually identical target audience, which could in turn see the pair cannibalize each other’s takings. Even in terms of the blockbuster fantasy sphere, Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two is also going to be taking up a lot of space.
The Marvels and Wish are landing a mere 12 days apart, too, so one is going to impact the other without a doubt, and a stacked marketplace typically tends to see the wealth spread more evenly, especially when the brands behind them are so powerful.
The MCU has only seen one installment reach a billion dollars since Avengers: Endgame, but looking at how the superhero saga has been faring even among its most dedicated supporters, The Marvels may not be able to match its predecessor.