Anyone who follows the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is familiar with the decline in “watchable” movies following their conclusion of Phase 3. Why is this? Marvel peaked with Avengers: Endgame, which grossed over $850 million, only to follow it up with several films that didn’t even break $200 million. It’s not that Black Widow’s box office amount of $183 million isn’t amazing, for a mid-pandemic release. However, the continued downward trend of revenue makes you wonder what Marvel is doing differently. Fans aren’t the only ones noticing this decline either. Recent sources project the cancellation of many future Marvel projects, including Eternals 2, Ant-Man 4, and Captain Marvel 3.
The news of these film cancellations originated from Daniel Richtman, an industry insider known for reporting semi-reliable news surrounding films, specifically in the MCU. RPK stated on his Patreon that the Marvel franchise wasn’t interested in pursuing these sequels after concerns surrounding their box office success was brought up. Eternal’s domestic box office numbers sit at 45th on the list of Marvel Comic films and their selling success. Bringing in about $164 million, Eternals follows the group of immortal alien superheroes who emerge after thousands of years to defend Earth once again. The film is star-studded with big-name actors like Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, and so many other exceptional actors and actresses. Eternals sparked the interest of many Gen-Z fans when it included a short cameo from singer-songwriter Harry Styles in the film’s post-credits scene – something the MCU is famous for. Styles makes his mark with his freshly dyed red hair as Eros, Thanos’ brother. This cameo came as a shock to many Marvel fans and spiked much more controversy than intended. After news of the cancellation, many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their joy for Eternals being canceled specifically because of Styles’ cameo. One user wrote, “I suppose the one good thing that’s come out of not having a second Eternals movie is that we now don’t have to suffer through Harry styles impersonating a plank of wood I’m so serious the amount of people who’ve lied on this man’s acting abilities.” While there was plenty of criticism received for this film, there were also many who enjoyed it, and were looking forward to its sequel. Barry Keoghan, another star in the film, has recently made his mark in the media through his role as Oliver Quick in Saltburn. Many other users have expressed their disappointment in the cancellation of a film with such big stars who have large fanbases. One stated, “Marvel stopping Eternals 2 is actually wild when Barry Keoghan and Harry Styles were in the cast and both have a cult following rn.” Unfortunately for some, Disney CEO Bob Iger allegedly deemed the stars and their impact on the success of the film not enough, as his plans for cancellation were announced.
Eternals’ sequel is not the only Phase 5 film heading for the chopping block. Sources state that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel 3 is also no longer expected to be produced because of box office concerns. Larson’s first solo film, Captain Marvel, was released in early 2019 during the MCU’s Phase 3 and brought in over $420 million in domestic box office sales. This was a stark contrast to its sequel’s success (or lack thereof) during its release in 2023 during Phase 5, bringing in $84 million in box office sales. The second Captain Marvel film, The Marvels, follows Carol Danvers as she teams up with two other superheroes after a conflict surrounding her own powers. Iger’s apparent plan to cancel this series’ third film received its fair share of controversy, and many fans blame the film’s lack of success on its unfortunate release date, as well as its intersection with the SAG-AFTRA strike. One user directly called out Bob Iger’s role in this, saying, “i hope bob iger realizes the main reason why the marvels severely underperformed is because the strike that HE helped prolong made it so the actors couldn’t promote the movie until after it released.” This was the case with many films released during the actor’s strike, as it prohibited actors from promoting, posting, and speaking about their projects.
The final of the bigger projects announced to be canceled was Ant-Man’s fourth film. The series’ third film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was released in early 2023, kicking off the MCU’s first film of Phase 5. Unfortunately, the film was received by critics and fans with mixed reviews. Quantumania used its plot to introduce the next major MCU villain after Thanos – Kang the Conqueror. The decision to cancel the production of this film could have stemmed from its underwhelming box office numbers, and the MCU’s goal to “[focus] on less risks with their movies,” but also could be due to Kang’s actor, Jonathan Majors. Following Major’s controversy and eventual conviction on accounts of assault and harassment, Marvel moved forward with the decision to drop Majors from all future projects. While the MCU has had its fair share of variants of characters and actor changes in films, some believe the decision to cut the film was the easiest decision moving forward, considering it wasn’t viewed as a guaranteed hit.
Regardless of how credible these insider sources are, it’s important to have hope – that is, if you actually want these movies to happen. Marvel’s leaders know how impactful their films are in the cinematic world, and they wouldn’t take the cancellation of large-scale future projects lightly. There’s always still a chance to see The Marvels in action together again, or Paul Rudd suiting up one last time. Who knows, maybe Harry Styles will even break out the red hair dye again! You know what they say – never say never!