Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas released 34 films since the firstIron Man, and even though some of them did not do amazing numbers at the box office, that does not mean they are bad. With a franchise as big and long-lasting as the MCU, there are bound to be films that connect with audiences on a huge level that others simply cannot. Some of theMCU’s best movies, likeAvengers: EndgameandSpider-Man: No Way Home, turned out to be box office giants.
However,not all MCU movies can finish their box office runs to the tune of $1 billionworldwide or more. There are many factors that contributed to the MCU’s lowest-grossing films being in the position they are in, be it story reasons, the time they were released, the focus on obscure characters, and more. Marvel can learn lessons from the MCU’s lowest-grossing films that can only improvefuture MCU movies.
10 Best Marvel Movie Trilogies Ranked
With Deadpool & Wolverine concluding one of the best Marvel trilogies, the list includes some impressive live-action entries both in the MCU and not.
The Incredible Hulk
Cast
The Incredible Hulk (1977): In this film, scientist David Banner suffers a gamma radiation overdose, triggering a transformation into a giant, muscular green creature whenever he becomes angry. This condition compels him to undertake a journey to understand and control his monstrous alter ego.
The Incredible Hulksits at the bottom of the list for a few factors. Not only was itthe lowest-grossing MCU movie from its release in 2008 up until late 2023, but the MCU film is like a distant look into the franchise and quite a simple film overall. Edward Norton was great as Bruce Banner, leaning into the character’s traumatic response to becoming the Hulk and how that affects his life.
Over the years, the MCU started bringing backThe Incredible Hulkcharacters, with 2025’sCaptain America: Brave New Worldincluding multiple.
However, that was not enough to makeThe Incredible Hulksucceed. Betty Ross ended up feeling rather bland in the film; the movie’s CGI was not nearly as good as it should have been, which is a pretty big flaw when the Hulk and Abomination are a huge part of it, and the story was boring. In the end,The Incredible Hulkis a rather dull affairthat should have been way more exciting, given its lead hero.
The Incredible Hulk Was Marvel’s Biggest Disappointment
Marvel has a reputation for being surefooted and confident, but 2008’s The Incredible Hulk has to go down as their biggest disappointment to date.
Eternals
Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao, follows a group of ancient aliens who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. The film explores their reunion in the face of an unexpected tragedy and the threat posed by their age-old adversaries, the Deviants. Released in 2021, the film expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Before it was released in theaters, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Marvel Studios’Eternals.The movie was directed by Chloé Zhao, who won the Best Director Oscar forNomadlandmonths before Eternals premiered. Due to that, there was a lot of talk aboutEternalsbeing a candidate for several awards in the lead-up to its premiere, and with an all-star cast that included names like Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden, it seemed to be on the way to becoming a major success.
However,Eternalsended up flopping. Sure, it was still affected by the pandemic, but the movie itself was just not as exciting as it seemed to be. There were a lot of characters introduced all at once, and that led toEternalsnot having the time to properly flesh out all of them and make fans care. The movie’s main villain was also an ugly CGI creation that looked dull, and despite great visuals everywhere else,Eternalsended up being a convoluted misfire.
10 Unanswered MCU Questions At Risk Of Never Being Addressed After Kevin Feige’s Eternals 2 Comments
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2, which means many loose ends may never be addressed.
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania follows Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, joined by Janet van Dyne, Hank Pym, and Cassie Lang, as they navigate the Quantum Realm. Their journey introduces them to peculiar creatures and challenges their understanding of reality, pushing their abilities to new extremes.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s poor box office was quite shocking. The Ant-Man franchise was never one to pull in huge numbers, butthe third film in Scott Lang’s MCU saga was designed to be the hero’s biggest, with ramifications for the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. The film saw the debut of Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror, the villain who was then set to be the main threat the Avengers would face in two movies beforeMajors was fired by Marvel Studios.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniaended up being the lowest-grossing Ant-Man movie.
Now that role will fall to Doctor Doom, makingAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s best aspect, Majors' performance and story as Kang, moot. The filmlost a lot of the Ant-Man franchise’s charm by taking place almost exclusively in the Quantum Realm, which led to characters like Luis getting cut and gags with Ant-Man and the Wasp’s shrinking powers in relation to the world disappearing. With poor CGI in a lot of moments, the Quantum Realm also looked less exciting than it should have, and Kang was defeated too easily.
The MCU Has 4 Perfect Ways To Kill Off The Council Of Kangs To Make Room For Doctor Doom
While Doctor Doom is the Multiverse Saga’s new main villain, the MCU could still use the Council of Kangs' death to set up multiple stories.
Thor
Thor, released in 2011, introduces Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god. Banished to Earth by his father Odin, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, Thor must live among humans and learn humility. As he adapts to his new circumstances, a threat from Asgard, led by his brother Loki, endangers Earth.
2011’sThoris not the best of Chris Hemsworth’s MCU movies, but it is also nowhere near the worst.The film is a serviceable origin story for Thor in the MCUthat serves as a great starting point for the character. Thor establishes Asgard, which looks the best it ever does in the MCU, the franchise’s core characters, like Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, and Thor’s motivations nicely.
Banished to Earth,the film follows the God of Thunder as he finds his path back to being worthyof his hammer, Mjolnir, and his privileged position as Odin’s son.Thor’s modest box office is a byproduct of the time the movie was released, and had it been developed later in the MCU than when the franchise was only finding its footing, director Kenneth Branagh would more likely than not have seen a hefty box office withThor.
Thor’s 10 MCU Appearances Ranked
Chris Hemsworth still has a few MCU appearances left, but Thor has already been a part of several movies, with the hero having good and bad moments.
Ant-Man
Ant-Man follows master thief Scott Lang as he becomes a hero under the guidance of Doctor Hank Pym. Using his Ant-Man suit, Lang gains the ability to shrink in size while increasing in strength, and together they must protect the technology from new threats and execute a world-saving heist.
Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man franchise has two of the 10 lowest-grossing MCU movies. That is not necessarily indicative of the quality of the Ant-Man movies, but more so of the obscure nature of the character for non-comic book readers, as well as the Ant-Man films mostly standing on their own in the MCU. Given those elements, 2015’sAnt-Man,the hero’s MCU debut, was always going to reach smaller numbers than other bigger MCU heroes.
Ant-Manis a fun heist movie. It is a refreshing story in the MCU, mostly avoiding big end-of-the-world stakes for a more personal tale. The movie also leans more heavily into comedy than the other MCU films of the time it was released.Ant-Manis an entertaining film that does not offer much more than a good time, which is why it ranks in the middle of the list.
Latest Ant-Man Update Means The MCU Can Never Redeem Its Wasted Founding Avenger
A notable MCU star has recently announced their retirement from acting, meaning that Marvel’s franchise can no longer do her character justice.
Black Widow
Black Widow: Released in 2021, Black Widow follows Natasha Romanoff as she faces a conspiracy linked to her past. Pursued relentlessly, Natasha must confront her history as a spy and navigate fractured relationships from her previous life before becoming part of the Avengers.
Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is one of the most important characters in the MCU. Fans asked for a Black Widow movie for many years, with the character only getting her chance to shine in a solo film after Natasha Romanoff had died inAvengers: Endgame. That led toBlack Widowfollowing a story set in the character’s past, delving deeper into Natasha’s backstory with the Red Room.
Black Widowintroduced fan-favorite characters like Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Red Guardian, both of which return next year inThunderbolts*.
Sadly, the pandemic and the decision to releaseBlack Widowon the same day in theaters and Disney+ ended up hurting the movie’s box office. The film itself is quite fun, with a nice mix of levity and emotional moments.Black Widowintroduced fan-favorite characters like Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Red Guardian, both of which return next year inThunderbolts*. All in all,Black Widow was a gripping adventure for Natasha, but it came too late.
Who Are Marvel’s Thunderbolts* & Where We Last Saw Each Member In The MCU
Thunderbolts* is set to assemble a new team with darker pasts seen in previous MCU movies, so here’s a breakdown of where we last saw each member.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: This film introduces Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Confronted by his past, he becomes entangled with the mysterious Ten Rings organization, which challenges his identity and abilities. Released in 2021, the movie explores themes of family and legacy.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswas such a fun movie that it led to Marvel hiring director Destin Daniel Cretton to helmAvengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, he ended up departing the project, which has since become 2026’sAvengers: Doomsday.The movie introduced a whole new side of the MCU, with mystical elements, artifacts, organizations, and more.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringseven had dragons.
Recently,Simu Liu has confirmed thatShang-Chi 2is happening.
The movie featured some of the best action sequences in the MCU, with Simu Liu delivering a charismatic and energetic performance in the lead role. Tony Leung also gave life to one of the shared universe’s best heroes as the MCU’s true Mandarin, paying offIron Man 3’s setup years later. Due to the pandemic,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' box office was lower than it could have been.
Shang-Chi 2: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Shang-Chi 2 is all but official at this point, and here’s everything we know about its potential release date, story details, and returning cast.
The Marvels
The Marvels follows Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, whose powers entwine with Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan and S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. As unintended consequences destabilize the universe, the trio must collaborate to navigate a new threat linked to a Kree revolutionary and an anomalous wormhole.
The Marvelsbeing this high on the list should be a controversial decision, asthe movie has become the lowest-grossing MCU film, takingThe Incredible Hulk’s place after 15 years. Despite its abysmal box office, which led to Marvel losing a lot of money on theCaptain Marvelsequel,The Marvelsis not a bad movie. Sure, it does not rank among films likeCaptain America: The Winter SoldierorAvengers: Infinity War, but the movie was still an entertaining, fast-paced team-up that the MCU needed amid the Multiverse Saga.
With MCU characters going years without appearing or not really interacting with those from other franchises in recent years,The Marvelscame as a breath of fresh air,bringing different MCU heroes together with solid reasoning and making their dynamic shine. However, a weak villain, years of polarizing discourse aroundCaptain Marvel, and the MCU’s divisive state as of late hurt the film’s performance.
10 Best MCU Sequels Ranked From The Marvels To Avengers: Endgame
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has some impressive franchises, and that has led to sequel movies that have changed the MCU in interesting ways.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger follows Steve Rogers, a frail man from Brooklyn transformed into the super-soldier Captain America during World War II. As he aids the war effort, Rogers confronts Red Skull, who seeks world domination through a powerful device for a nefarious organization.
Chris Evans’Captain America trilogystands as the MCU’s best for many.There is not a single bad movie about Evans' Steve Rogers.Captain America: The First Avengersits at the bottom of the franchise both box office-wise and in terms of reception, though that has nothing to do with the movie’s quality itself. Like a few entries on the list, the film was part of the first wave of MCU releases, and those found lower box office results.
With a solid story, gripping characters, and great rewatchability,Captain America: The First Avengerserved asthe perfect foundation for what would become one of the two most beloved heroes in the MCU. The film does a great job of telling Steve Rogers' iconic origin story, making a character who could have been seen as corny by modern audiences a beacon of hope, which is what Captain America is all about.
I’ve Worked Out Chris Evans' Best Possible MCU Return As Steve Rogers To End The Multiverse Saga
After his Human Torch return in Deadpool & Wolverine, I believe there is a perfect way to bring back Chris Evans to the MCU as Captain America.
Iron Man
Iron Man is the first film in the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, who becomes Iron Man after he is kidnapped and discovers terrorists are using weapons developed by Stark Industries. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Tony’s love interest Pepper Potts alongside Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Jeff Bridges as the villainous Obadiah Stane.
2008’sIron Manis one of the MCU’s most important movies, if not the most important.It was due to the film’s success that the MCU continued to exist, eventually becoming the major theatrical behemoth it is today. Interestingly,Iron Man’s $585.8 million at the worldwide box office, which was once an enormous success for Marvel at the time, is now one of the lowest-grossing films in the MCU.
That is but a testament to how the franchise has grown since 2008, with multiple $1 billion hits, one of which came from Robert Downey Jr.‘sIron Man 3. Of the MCU’s lowest-grossing movies,Iron Manis definitely the best. The reasons for that are that the film bringsone of RDJ’s best performances as Tony Stark, does a great job of setting up a cinematic universe, has an engaging story, villain, and characters, and its CGI still holds up to this day.Iron Manis one of theMCU’s best movies, counting all 34 releases so far.
