The MCU's 'Captain Marvel' Has Been Taken Down

Marvel Studios’ box office giant, Captain Marvel (2019), has officially been taken down.

Sandwiched between the climactic events of the Infinity Saga two-part Avengers epic, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), audiences really showed up for Captain Marvel, with the superhero epic — and the first female-led Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — taking over a billion dollars at the global box office.

While ticket sales were high, the reception was generally lukewarm. Leading star Brie Larson faced a tirade of criticism over her portrayal of Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel, and still to this day, misogynistic viewers target the Oscar-winning actress.

Despite this, though, Marvel Studios officially brings fans back to the world of the cosmic-powered Marvels with the new sequel, aptly titled The Marvels (2023). From director Nia DaCosta, The Marvels brings together Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, who play Danvers, Monica Rambeau/Photon, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, respectively, in a space-faring adventure. The movie will also star Park Seo-joon, Zawe Ashton (Dar-Benn), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).

The Marvels has an uphill battle to climb. Following a string of creative misfires and poor box office performances, MCU fans are suffering from superhero fatigue. This year alone, the studio has had its worst-rated movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), and television show, Secret Invasion, meaning confidence in the future of Marvel Phase Five has significantly waned.

Related: MCU Star Doesn’t Hold Back, Bashes Brie Larson’s ‘Captain Marvel’

The disappointing box office for Marvel, and by extension, the greater Walt Disney Company, is not reflective of the current theatrical climate either. Non-Disney IPs like The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), and Barbie (2023) have all drummed up wild support, with the latter recently topping $1 billion globally.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has broken multiple records. The Margot Robbie-led feature film debuted with a massive opening weekend and went on to become the movie of the summer. Led by Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the ensemble film from Warner Bros. and Mattel was released after an aggressive marketing campaign, topping fellow weekend release, Oppenheimer (2023), Christopher Nolan’s latest epic.

Now, Gerwig’s pink-drenched comedy has taken down Captain Marvel at the worldwide box office, bypassing the Marvel film with $1,183,909,000 in takings versus Captain Marvel‘s $1,128,274,794. What makes this even more notable is that Gerwig has also replaced Anna Boden as having directed the highest-grossing live-action movie helmed by a woman. Anna Boden co-directed Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck and previously held the record (numbers via ComicBook). Barbie also recently took down Frozen II (2019) on the domestic box office charts, which was also co-directed by Disney’s Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jennifer Lee.

Related: ‘The Marvels’ Post-Credit Scene Allegedly Leaked, Reveals Secret Future of MCU

So, will The Marvels be able to capitalize on the success its predecessor had, as well as the hype and performance of Gerwig’s Barbie? The Marvels, after all, is a female-led movie directed by a woman, so comparisons are inevitable, regardless of genre.

The Marvels is set to open on November 10, 2023, exclusively in movie theaters. The film will join Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) as part of Phase Five, and will be followed up by Captain America: Brave New World (2024) and Thunderbolts (2024).

Are you surprised that Barbie has taken down Captain Marvel? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!