The superhero is dying.

The box office failure of “Venom: The Last Dance” signals the end of superhero movies as a dominant force at the box office. It also raises concerns about the fate of Marvel and DC's films scheduled for release in 2025.

The sad ending Venom 3

Sony Pictures advertised Venom: The Last Dance ( Venom: The Final Fight ) is the final chapter in the comedy series about an alien symbiotically linked to an Earthling, starring Tom Hardy. But with a domestic opening weekend of $51 million, 44% and 55% lower than the previous two installments, the film signals the end of the film industry. superhero as the dominant force at the box office.

Venom 3's failure extinguished the nascent hopes raised by Deadpool & Wolverine. Photo: Sony.

Superhero movies used to be an indispensable source of revenue for the film industry. In 2018 and 2019, the average global box office revenue for superhero films was over $1 billion. This year, that number is only half, even with the record-breaking success of... Deadpool & Wolverine .

In fact, the collaboration between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman was the only comic book film to become a hit after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Released in June 2023. Since then, the genre has suffered an unusual box office drought. From The Flash The Marvels arrive Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux both garnered dismal box office results.

From 2015 to 2019, 25 out of 30 superhero films (83%) grossed over $500 million worldwide . After the pandemic, the situation reversed: Since 2022, 10 out of 17 superhero films (59%) have grossed under $500 million globally.

The reasons for the box office drop vary depending on the film. DC is hampered by scandals and leadership changes. Marvel is saturated with its Disney+ shows and is in the process of limiting new releases. Meanwhile, Sony is trying to... build A universe of characters related to Spider-Man, but without Spider-Man himself. However, the common thread is a clear decline in the commercial value of this film genre.

It's difficult to repeat that feat. Deadpool & Wolverine

Financial headwinds are creating almost palpable pressure on the list of superhero films for 2025. Following its release... Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024, Marvel Studios are speeding up their comeback with three films. Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps .

"Nothing is certain here. There's still a lot of goodwill toward Marvel. It's still the biggest superhero cinematic universe in Hollywood. But the question is whether the new projects will live up to expectations." Deadpool & Wolverine "Whether it's true or not, I don't see that happening with any of these films," commented Jeff Bock, an analyst at Exhibitor Relations.

Experts predict that few superhero films in 2025 will achieve the same success as Deadpool & Wolverine. Photo: Marvel.

One important factor that Captain America 4 and Thunderbolts The challenge lies in their dependence on characters and storylines from several previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) titles, including Disney+ shows. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye , along with the films Black Widow Eternals, Ant-Man and the Wasp , Captain America: Civil War , even The Incredible Hulk 2008.

That connection has been an advantage for Marvel Studios since its inception, but it has been seen as a hindrance to recent projects such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , Secret Invasion and The Marvels .

Opposite, The Fantastic Four Set in an alternate timeline, the film allowed for a new direction that insiders described as revitalizing the studio.

In terms of scale, the Fantastic Four are particularly important in the Marvel comic universe, known as the first superhero family. However, both of 20th Century Fox's films in the 2000s and 2010s were box office flops.

Marvel Studios can't let that happen again: Robert Downey Jr. is ready to return as the team's arch-nemesis, Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday 2026. Together Avengers: Secret Wars In 2027, the film will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed two previous films. Avengers Most recently, global revenue exceeded $2 billion. In other words, Marvel has set an extremely high standard for reintroducing these core characters, and their challenge is to surpass that standard.

" Fantastic Four" must achieve higher revenue Captain America and Thunderbolts , because they wanted a few more parts. Avengers "again," Bock said.

Marvel Studios has also committed to co-producing the film. Spider-Man fourth of Sony Pictures stars Tom Holland and is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).

Sony Animation is also producing the film. Spider-Verse third (and final) film and television segment Spider-Noir which the studio is working on with Nicolas Cage for Amazon. But the future of Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) films, made without Holland or Marvel Studios, remains uncertain.

Sony harbors ambitions to build a Spider-Man universe without Spider-Man, but success is uncertain. Photo: Sony.

In spite of Venom: The Last Dance It ends with an after-credits scene, but currently there are no other SSU projects on Sony's list after release. Kraven the Hunter (Rated R) in December with Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

"The SSU hasn't completely collapsed yet, but..." Venom "Sony is feeling the pressure of stifling superhero spin-off films. This isn't a good prospect for the studio, which used to have plans for several Spider-Man titles each year. Without a doubt, Sony needs to get back to the drawing board," the expert said.

An uncertain future

However, the most powerful influx of superheroes in 2025 will come from... DC Studios. In January 2023, newly appointed co-directors James Gunn and Peter Safran announced an entirely new list of 10 films and television shows, expected to reboot the DC Extended Universe (DCU) in a more innovative direction.

The first of these projects, the animated series. Creature Commandos , released on Max in December. However, the project that received more attention was... Superman , written and directed by Gunn.

"I think there's no need to emphasize the importance of it further." soul For the entire DCU. Perhaps we should start with $100 million (domestic), something DC hasn't been able to do for quite some time, except for... The Batman 2022, like Joker: Folie à Deux was produced outside the DCU. Warner Bros. and DC films would truly be on the brink if... soul "It wasn't successful. They had to make some big decisions," Bock commented.

Gunn and Safran committed to not proceeding with any DC projects without a complete script, which also helps mitigate risk for the company if necessary. soul Failure. Only two projects. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and the streaming series Lanterns It has gone into production, along with the animated film. Dynamic Duo . Projects featuring less prominent characters like Booster Gold, Swamp Thing, and Authority have yet to be greenlit.

DC wants to rebuild the cinematic universe with the iconic character Superman, but they can only proceed cautiously, exploring the path ahead. Photo: DC.

Nevertheless, Warner Bros. and Disney remain committed to their DC and Marvel film projects this decade.

"There still isn't any film that can replace superheroes at the box office in terms of earning potential. Until we see some other genre dominate, they will continue to invest in this genre," Bock concluded.

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