Despite being among the worst Marvel films ever, Morbius’s box office performance makes five other films seem even worse. Morbius, which is a part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, made $167.5 million at the worldwide box office, which is a striking amount given its notoriety.
In addition to providing a new take on certain beloved comic book films, this performance has been compared to other Marvel films from the MCU chronology and beyond.
The 2022 film Morbius followed Dr. Michael Morbius (played by Jared Leto), who attempts to treat a rare blood condition by turning into a vampire-like beast. Despite having a compelling idea and high hopes, Morbius had a lot of problems and did not perform well.
Since then, Morbius has become infamous for being among the worst comic book films ever made. Even still, Morbius’s box office result makes the five Marvel films seem even worse.
Morbius Outperformed Five Marvel Films at the Box Office
Despite its difficulties, Morbius outperformed five other Marvel films at the worldwide box office, making these films appear much worse in contrast. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Elektra, The Punisher, The New Mutants, and Punisher: War Zone were all surpassed by Morbius. Considering the historical and cultural elements at play, this result is quite noteworthy.
First of all, aside from The New Mutants, the most of these films were released more than ten years ago. Morbius’s profits were increased in part by inflation and the overall rise in movie ticket costs over time.
Because of this economic element, even a modest box office result in recent years can outperform older films when inflation is taken into account.
Another layer of background is provided by the changing superhero film environment. The superhero genre was not as well-established or refined as it is now when Elektra, The Punisher, and Punisher: War Zone were published.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe hadn’t yet established the high standards that modern audiences had grown accustomed to, and the production values and expectations were different. Despite not being a part of the MCU, Morbius profited from the general appeal of films bearing the Marvel name.
Its comparatively superior performance in comparison to these earlier releases was probably influenced by the greater awareness and interest in Marvel properties. But in the end, this box office history does present a fresh angle on these five Marvel films, making them appear more worse than audiences may recall.
However, this comparison provides an intriguing look into the development of the superhero genre and demonstrates how shifts in the market, viewer expectations, and financial considerations may affect box office results.
Why Morbius Did Not Do Well at the Box Office?
Significant obstacles that Morbius had to overcome led to its subpar box office performance. Morbius was originally scheduled for release in July 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused multiple delays, and it wasn’t until April 2022 that movie eventually entered theaters.
Given that the film industry was still dealing with the pandemic’s aftermath, with many theaters closed or operating under limitations and people slowly making their way back to the theaters, this timing was crucial.
A lesser-known figure from the Spider-Man universe, Morbius, has trouble drawing in large crowds. Morbius was not as well-known as other well-known Marvel characters, and his relationship to Spider-Man was just tangential in this stand-alone movie.
It was more difficult to attract fans who were not aware with the character’s comic book beginnings because of this disassociation from the more widely accepted Spider-Man story.
In addition to these problems, critics gave Morbius generally negative reviews, pointing out its unimpressive special effects, uninspiring performances, and weak plot. Passionate word-of-mouth and social media swiftly spread these unfavorable reviews, leading to a flurry of memes that ridiculed the movie’s flaws.
Potential spectators were turned off by the film’s reputation, which was badly harmed by the satire and criticism that went viral. These elements worked together to produce a perfect storm that hurt Morbius’s box office performance and resulted in its underwhelming financial results.
The MCU’s Lowest Box Office Is In perspective With Morbius’ Total Gross
Even the least popular films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hold up fairly well, as demonstrated by Morbius’s box office performance. One such instance is The Marvels, which did better monetarily than Morbius in spite of negative reviews.
This emphasizes the intrinsic value and appeal of MCU movies, even in its most subpar forms. The MCU’s well-established reputation for producing captivating and interwoven tales is reflected in the Marvels’ ability to draw in a sizable audience.
Thanks to a devoted following and steady marketing tactics, this reputation frequently leads to a foundational degree of success. On the other hand, Morbius did not take advantage of its potential.
Despite its lack of critical praise, The Marvels’ relative box office success in comparison to Morbius serves as an example of how the MCU upholds a standard of excellence that even its lower-budget movies must reach, further highlighting the differences between MCU productions and other superhero movie endeavors.
Despite its infamous reputation, are you curious about how Morbius was able to outperform five Marvel films? Look at its box office journey in depth, taking into account the elements that influenced its outcomes. For additional information about superhero movie trends, box office performance, and Marvel flicks, visit our website!