The excitement for Spider-Man: No Way Home ahead of its release created quite the frenzy among fans. The idea of everyone’s favorite wallcrawler reuniting with the likes of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, while also tackling five different villains, seemed too good to be true. But it was the real deal, and Tom Holland’s picture went on to smash pandemic box office records.
But with that movie at the end of its theatrical run, it’s time for all eyes to shift towards Marvel Studios' next film: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Benedict Cumberbatch-led project will see the Avenging Sorcerer faced with having to save all reality, likely due to some chaos caused by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
Fans worldwide are thrilled to be able to witness the Madness unfold, and audiences will likely be flocking to theaters just like they were for the last Marvel movie. But, given how successful No Way Home was, does this next MCU project have any chance at beating its records?
Will Doctor Strange Match No Way Home?
In an interview with Empire Online, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Benedict Cumberbatch commented on how his film will match the performance of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Cumberbatch stated that if the project “brings off the level of ambition" it exudes, then their movie will “have a success on the level of Spidey:”
“It’s a big, big movie… it’s going to be an absolute riot. And if it brings off the level of ambition it’s got, we’re going to have a success on the level of Spidey. There you go, I’ll put my flag in the sand.”
To date, No Way Home has grossed over $1.86 billion at the box office and remains the most successful film in pandemic times. So, needless to say, this is quite a massive claim.
The Potential of Doctor Strange’s Box Office Success
The success of Spider-Man: No Way Home at the box office was massive. Had there not been a pandemic going around, the film most likely would have beaten records set by Avengers: Endgame; it could have even challenged Avatar.
It helps how the movie is not only about one of the biggest superheroes of all time, but that it saw three generations of the same wallcrawler converged on screen. So, to be blunt, what Doctor Strange offers simply isn't the same.
The odds of the Multiverse of Madness reaching anywhere close to the heights that Tom Holland’s latest adventure did is low. Though given how Strange is still a popular character, Benedict a well-known actor, and the many teased cameos, the film will no doubt perform well at the box office—even if it doesn’t rise above the latest MCU project.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases on May 6, 2022.
