One of Marvel's most infamous misfires just suffered another blow at the box office, this time courtesy of 2025's biggest horror phenomenon. Once expected to launch a long-running sub-franchise, the 2023 film instead became a major disappointment for Marvel Studios and a symbol of its recent struggles. Now, its latest defeat further cements why a fourth installment in this series is unlikely to ever happen.
The Conjuring: Last Rites achieved a chilling milestone at the global box office, one that leaves a major Marvel film in its shadow. Over its seventh weekend, the supernatural horror added another $3.7 million overseas, marking only a 36% drop and bringing its international total to $306.6 million.
Combined with $175.4 million domestic, the film now stands at $482 million worldwide, surpassing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's $476 million total. For Marvel, Quantumania was seen as a costly disappointment upon its 2023 release, with poor reviews and underwhelming legs effectively stalling the Ant-Man sub-franchise.
By contrast, Last Rites (made for just $55 million before marketing) became a runaway success, reinforcing horror's reputation as the most reliable box office genre in 2025. With projections pointing toward a $500 million final haul, The Conjuring franchise continues to thrive where superhero cinema has stumbled.
Is the Ant-Man Franchise Over?
When Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania failed to meet expectations, it effectively drained much of the enthusiasm that once surrounded the Ant-Man corner of the MCU.
During its release, director Peyton Reed teased ideas for a potential Ant-Man 4, noting that any follow-up would likely "have to" scale things back to a more grounded story that balanced trips to the Quantum Realm with the franchise's signature family dynamics. Both Reed and star Kathryn Newton expressed interest in exploring Cassie Lang's growth and the Scott-Cassie relationship further, but those plans now seem unlikely to move forward.
Adding to that uncertainty, Michael Douglas (Hank Pym in the MCU) recently said he doesn't expect to return, explaining that he's content stepping away from acting and focusing on producing.
While Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is confirmed to reappear in Avengers: Doomsday, the Quantimania failure, the shift away from Jonathan Majors' Kang, and a collective re-evaluation of Marvel Studios' future don't bode well for Ant-Man 4.
Most fans may not even be too sad to hear that Quantimania quietly ended the franchise altogether. Rudd's Scott could follow something similar to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, closing out his solo franchise but continuing to make his presence felt in the greater MCU.
Beyond Quatunamia ending the Ant-Man franchise, many believe it could've been a turning point for Marvel at the box office, leading to the biggest flop in studio history later that year (The Marvels). For a lot of fans, Quantimania was the point of no return on the multiverse working, after the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
With only Spider-Man 4 and two Avengers films officially on the MCU film slate, it's safe to assume that after the Multiverse Saga comes to a close, the biggest box office franchise in history will get back to basics, with or without Ant-Man.
