Disney+ already hosts a handful of Marvel’s biggest box office misfires, and its library of critical and commercial disappointments just expanded by one more. Madame Web, one of the most criticised entries in the controversial Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), officially moved from its current streaming home, Netflix, to Disney+. The film joined the service on November 14, becoming the latest in a growing list of Marvel films that failed to meet expectations at the box office or with critics but which are now streaming on the House of Mouse's flagship platform.
Released in February 2024, the Dakota Johnson-led feature was a critical disaster, landing a dismal 10% on Rotten Tomatoes' (RT) Tomatometer. Commercially, the film struggled, earning only $100.5 million worldwide against a reported production budget of around $80–100 million, making it a box office bomb and generally regarded as the lowest point in the Sony-produced, but Marvel-based, SSU.
As a Sony Pictures production, Madame Web’s move to Disney+ follows a pre-existing licensing deal. While the film initially streamed on Netflix (Sony's typical Pay-1 window partner), its migration to Disney+ in the Pay-2 window allows the service to consolidate a vast swathe of Marvel's non-MCU properties. Despite being a critical disaster, Madame Web enjoyed considerable success on Netflix, becoming one of the platform's most-watched properties.
Every Marvel Flop Now Streaming on Disney+
Morbius
Morbius, the 2022 anti-hero film starring Jared Leto (whose box office struggles continued well into 2025), officially achieved the rare status of being a critical disaster twice. Initially savaged by critics upon its release and achieving only a 15% score, the film’s failure led to it becoming a massive online meme, culminating in a misguided theatrical re-release that also flopped spectacularly.
Despite its high production values and its role in attempting to expand the SSU, the film underperformed commercially and creatively, failing to ignite the franchise momentum Sony desired. Its inclusion on Disney+ grants the film a second life in streaming, where its notoriety often attracts curious viewers.
The Marvels
The Marvels, the 2023 sequel starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, holds the unwelcome distinction of being the lowest-grossing film in the history of the MCU, earning approximately $206 million worldwide. Despite receiving generally acceptable critical feedback, the commercial failure was undeniable, sparking widespread conversation about audience fatigue and the viability of the MCU’s Phase 5.
The film suffered from marketing confusion and a lack of momentum following the pandemic era, proving that even a major MCU property is no longer immune to financial disappointment. Its swift arrival onto Disney+ was a necessary attempt to give the film a soft landing and maximize viewership for a key Phase 5 narrative installment.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, released in 2023, was burdened with the immense responsibility of launching the multiversal threat of Kang the Conqueror and kicking off Phase 5 of the MCU. The film, however, was widely criticized for its lackluster visuals, underdeveloped story, and cluttered narrative, reflected in a disappointing 46% critic score.
Though it cleared $476 million globally, the film significantly underperformed the typical financial expectations for a central MCU title introducing a major villain. Its critical reception signaled a disconnect with audiences and critics alike.
Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World, which hit theaters in February 2025 and began streaming on Disney+ in May 2025, represents another MCU title that suffered from mixed critical reception. The film grossed $415.1 million worldwide against a reported $180 million budget. It needed to make at least $425 million to break even.
Brave New World garnered numerous uneventful reviews and failed to reach the box office heights expected of a major legacy franchise installment.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts*, the anti-hero team-up film that followed Brave New World in May 2025 and began streaming in August, also suffered a disappointing run at the box office. With a global gross estimated at around $325.7 million, the film struggled to find a robust audience in theaters.
Despite a generally positive premise focused on assembling a squad of anti-heroes, the movie’s financial results placed it firmly among the recent MCU efforts that struggled to recapture the success of the Infinity Saga. Even the smart marketing move to brand the Thunderbolts as the New Avengers did not reap much benefit.
Eternals
Eternals, the 2021 ensemble film directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao, was intended as an ambitious, thematically dense departure from the established MCU formula, tackling complex mythology and human history. This massive creative risk resulted in a mixed critical response (47% RT) and a commercial return of $402 million, a total that did not break even and was notably muted for a massive-budget MCU theatrical release coming off the heels of the pandemic.
The film’s polarizing reception, due to its slow pacing and challenging thematic material, made it one of the earliest and most significant indicators of creative turbulence within the interconnected cinematic universe. This forced the studio to adjust its expectations for new, unfamiliar properties.
Fantastic Four (2015)
2015's Fantastic Four film remains one of the most notoriously failed reboots in superhero cinema history. Plagued by widely reported production clashes between director Josh Trank and the studio, the final product was deemed a disjointed mess, resulting in an abysmally low 9% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film's ultimate commercial failure, exacerbated by a highly publicized breakdown of the director's cut, killed the Fantastic Four film franchise for Fox.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Intended as the grand finale of the main Fox X-Men saga in 2019, X-Men: Dark Phoenix suffered from extensive, costly reshoots and a release date shuffle that saw its momentum evaporate. The resulting picture struggled with narrative focus and emotional stakes, earning a poor 22% critical score.
With a worldwide gross of only $252 million, it became the lowest-grossing entry in the Fox X-Men series, ending the two-decade-long franchise on a sour and disappointing note just as the property transitioned to Disney's control.
The New Mutants
The New Mutants, a 2020 horror-themed spin-off, while conceptually unique, suffered a staggering series of setbacks, including multiple lengthy delays that spanned years. The film was caught in the middle of the Fox/Disney merger, and the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately hindered its release.
The result was a film that felt adrift from its parent franchise, struggling to find an audience and ending the Fox Marvel production line with a commercially muted 37% critical reception. Its quiet arrival on Disney+ completed the final chapter of the messy, post-merger Fox legacy.
Elektra
Elektra, a notorious flop from 2005, starred Jennifer Garner in an attempt to capitalize on the success of 2003’s Daredevil (even though it had one of the worst film scenes ever) but was one of the earliest signs of superhero exhaustion. The film was critically panned for its flat script and lack of character development, earning a minuscule 11% critical rating.
Its presence on Disney+ today offers a jarring look back at the tentative, often poorly executed, solo superhero endeavors that characterized the early 2000s, long before the cohesion of the MCU was a given.
Bonus: Inhumans
Inhumans stands as an odd entry on this list, given that it was originally conceived as a television series but was granted a special, two-week theatrical run in IMAX theaters in September 2017 to premiere its first two episodes. This unconventional launch immediately struggled; despite the unique distribution, critics were brutal, contributing to a disastrous 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The IMAX run was commercially disappointing, earning approximately $1.5 million domestically across nearly 400 screens.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
