The MCU's box office trends have been falling noticeably short of expectations. Popular Marvel Studios 2025 releases like Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World barely turned a profit. With Marvel's First Family finally making its MCU debut, it was worth holding out hope, thanks to First Steps' impressive cast and inclusion of Galactus. However, First Steps became even more disappointing, joining the growing list of underwhelming entries.
Thankfully, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige pinpointed one of the main reasons behind these underperforming films. This might signal hope for future releases. Meanwhile, MCU fans hope that heroes and villains won't be nerfed and that anticipated characters like Taskmaster won't be left underutilized. The studio's focus is shifting to its upcoming projects, which promise long-awaited, high-stakes confrontations and names that spell cinematic glory.
Confirmed MCU Films That Could Do Well in Theaters
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is generating a wave of buzz that could easily translate into box office gold. This is thanks to recent, behind-the-scenes clips from the ongoing shoot in Glasgow. The franchise already has a strong track record. Spider-Man: No Way Home alone grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide ($1,910,048,245).
While past success does not ultimately mean future success, the upcoming sequel brings continuity, crossovers, and a lineup of absolute must-watch characters. These include Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk.
Adding to the hype is the undeniable star power of its cast, especially real-life couple Tom Holland and Zendaya, whose on-screen chemistry as Peter Parker and MJ has become one of the MCU's most beloved pairings.
Blade Movie Reboot
Following Wesley Snipes' glorious MCU debut in Deadpool and Wolverine, Marvel fans ate up the sumptuous idea of having an MCU Blade movie. Even the news has been a rollercoaster ride since the film was announced at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. The film was initially slated to be released in November 2025 but has now been indefinitely shelved.
If the MCU embraces Blade and the horror elements that come with the vampire hunter, that might be all it needs for a box office comeback.
Avengers: Doomsday
The MCU's decision to bring back Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom comes with a big question mark but ultimately leans toward strategic. The sheer excitement of having one of Marvel's OGs back in the MCU fueled endless speculation, raised questions, and sparked a wave of hype. Another factor is the historical box office dominance of Avengers films, with titles like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame grossing over $1 billion.
The buildup has been steady, with sneak peeks starting from the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which featured a mid-credits scene bringing Doctor Doom into the MCU.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Kevin Feige confirmed that the MCU will undergo a soft relaunch after Secret Wars. The path to the finale of Phase 7 is stacked with rivalries, team-ups, and epic battles and will build toward what promises to be a grand finale.
Big titles like Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and others will each play their part in shaping the journey to this climactic chapter. It's hard to imagine anything but success for Avengers: Secret Wars, especially if earlier projects like Doomsday can set the stage as effectively as Infinity War did for Endgame.
Black Panther 3
Chadwick Boseman's portrayal in the first Black Panther movie was a cultural phenomenon that spawned several spin-offs, like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ironheart, and other anticipated storylines, all contributing to the franchise's box office success.
There is ongoing speculation over whether F1 star Damson Idris could step into the mantle once held by Boseman's T'Challa.
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever pulling in an impressive $859,208,836 and the first Black Panther crossing the $1.3 billion mark, this is one MCU corner where, despite the broader box office slump, the potential for another massive hit remains high.
Marvel's X-Men Movie
After finally receiving an update on Marvel's first X-Men movie, some fans might be disappointed to learn that it won't be hitting theaters anytime soon. However, several mutants making their MCU debut ahead of the official X-Men movie signal TV magic. These include Cassandra Nova in Deadpool, Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the lethal team-up between Deadpool and Wolverine in the latest Deadpool & Wolverine movie. These examples are just the beginning, and the upcoming X-Men movie is expected to be a noteworthy addition to the franchise. More can be expected as the team up between major X-Man, Wolverine and deadpool grossed an impressive $785 million worldwide.
Potential MCU Films That Would Be Box Office Successes
Thor 5
The Thor franchise is no stranger to harsh criticism, from grossly nerfing supervillains to the last movie scoring the worst audience rating in the MCU. Additionally, Chris Hemsworth recently hinted that Doomsday might be his character's proper farewell. Regardless, there is still much to be hoped for from the franchise.
Even though there's been no official word on the rumored fifth installment, Hemsworth addressed reports that he might be wielding Mjolnir one more time and responded positively.
Regardless of the MCU's inadequate box office history, fans might be giving the MCU one last chance to address some of its previous issues with the franchise's earlier projects. These include everything from one-and-done villains like Hela to Malekith.
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 4
It's been tough to look away from what could have been the next Spider-Man movie with Toby Maguire. This started ever since all versions of Spider-Man had that emotional reunion in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Former Spider-Man director Sam Raimi decided not to make Spider-Man 4 that would have starre Tobey Maguire because the previous movies fell short. However, the stakes now feel different. Maguire's recent cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home left fans nostalgic for other renditions of Spider-Man besides Tom Holland's.
Doctor Strange 3
The Doctor Strange franchise has quickly become one of the MCU's most mind-bending success stories. Its blend of mystical spectacle and multiversal chaos carved out a unique corner of the Marvel landscape.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came within striking distance of the $1 billion mark, proving the Sorcerer Supreme's box office pull. The stakes for the character's next chapter couldn't be higher with timeline-bending twists, reality-shattering magic, and limitless crossover potential. This is especially true considering how influential Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is in the Multiverse Saga.
Deadpool 4
So far, Deadpool is one of Marvel's most consistent box office hits. Deadpool raked in $782 million worldwide, Deadpool 2 hit $785 million, and the latest, Deadpool & Wolverine, practically broke the scale with an incredible $1.338 billion. With the exponential success of the Deadpool franchise, Marvel's go at R-rated territory might be even more successful this time, especially considering the multitude of rivalries and team-ups the multiverse presents.
