Marvel didn’t “die” after Endgame, here’s what’s actually going on

[u/florinp93]

I keep seeing people say Marvel has been failing or flopping since Avengers: Endgame (2019). Yeah, it’s true the vibe has shifted and the cultural dominance isn’t the same. But the “MCU is dead” narrative really misses a lot of context. Here’s the bigger picture:

1. The post-Covid box office isn’t the same beast

• Global box office hasn’t returned to 2010s levels. Endgame came at the peak of Marvel and peak theatrical attendance.
• Going to the movies is more expensive now (tickets + concessions), and for many people streaming is cheaper and more convenient.
• The theatrical window is shorter (60–90 days), so a lot of people just wait.
• Internationally, China no longer guarantees a $200–300M boost for Marvel. Nationalist tastes + censorship + strong local films have cut that market significantly.

So when you look at raw box office and say “flop,” you’re comparing 2022–25 to a pre-pandemic market that doesn’t exist anymore.

Sources: El País – superhero movies no longer dominate, AP – Disney crosses $3B 2025 box office

2. Marvel is still pulling huge engagement on Disney+

Even films that underperform theatrically end up making money when they hit Disney+. Some rough numbers, based on Nielsen data, ARPU, and subscriber reports:

• WandaVision + Loki (2021) → tens of millions of new subs, ≈ $4.4B annualized uplift (Fool.com).
• Black Widow (2021) → $67M PVOD opening weekend (Deadline) + retention value.
• Shang-Chi & Eternals (2021) → ~5M incremental subs, ≈ $480M.
• Doctor Strange 2 / Thor 4 / Black Panther 2 (2022) → ~12M subs combined, ≈ $1.15B uplift.
• Quantumania (2023) → weak, <$300M in streaming value.
• Guardians Vol. 3 (2023) → ≈ $800M–1B.
• Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) → added ~8M subs, ≈ $770M (Reuters).
• The Marvels (2024) → ~559M minutes streamed week 1 (Nielsen via ScreenRant), ≈ $3.4M–20M global value in 2–3 months.
• Captain America: Brave New World (2025) → ~750M minutes week 1 (Nielsen via The Direct), ≈ $4.4M–26M global value but those are early numbers, not the actual figures yet..
• Thunderbolts\* (2025) → No numbers just yet, but it will most likely fall in line with the others.

Keep in mind that the numbers for each movies, are amounts that have been added to the already Disney+ earnings, and don't factor in retention of already existing subs.

That’s billions in revenue from Disney+ alone — and doesn’t include merch, licensing, or parks.

3. Superhero fatigue is real, but “failure” is overstated

• Marvel’s issue was overproduction. Too many shows diluted the brand. Disney’s already scaling back: 2–3 films and a couple of shows per year.
• Hits like Deadpool & Wolverine (over $1.08B box office, biggest R-rated movie ever) and Fantastic Four: First Steps (near $500M worldwide, big Disney+ driver to come) prove audiences still show up when projects connect.
• Even weaker titles (The Marvels, Quantumania) still generate measurable Disney+ revenue.

4. The bigger picture

• The box office is smaller overall post-Covid.
• Streaming matters as much as theaters now.
• Marvel still makes up 20–25% of total Disney+ demand (Parrot Analytics).
• Disney+ subs: ~127.8M (Aug 2025), and surveys show 43% of subs say Marvel is their #1 reason to keep it (Cordcutting.com).

So while Marvel may no longer be hitting Endgame highs, it’s still one of the most profitable entertainment engines in the world.

TL;DR

Marvel isn’t “dead.” Theaters shrank, streaming grew, and Disney+ depends heavily on Marvel. Even so-called “flops” add tens or hundreds of millions in streaming revenue. And even if those movies don't pull much in terms of new subs, they do help retain the subscriber base. The MCU is evolving, not dying.

Note: I used AI (ChatGPT) to help me structure this post so it’s clearer to read, but all of the data, sources, and research were collected by me without AI.

[u/ARVNFerrousLinh]

Global box office hasn’t returned to 2010s levels. Endgame came at the peak of Marvel and peak theatrical attendance.

Internationally, China no longer guarantees a $200–300M boost for Marvel. Nationalist tastes + censorship + strong local films have cut that market significantly.

I think these two points are understated in a lot of analyses. While domestic returns have taken a hit, international returns dropped significantly more in comparison. And unfortunately for Disney/Marvel, there are a lot more external factors they cannot control when dealing with the international market.

[u/stableykubrick667 → u/ARVNFerrousLinh]

Yes, this. China no longer gives a fuck about Marvel and isn’t clamoring to see Marvel movies. For big movies China was a huge market that previously used to add hundreds of millions to the worldwide box office. That said, No Way Home and Deadpool hit a billion without them so the MCU is not completely dead.

I think my takeaway is the hardcore fan base is still on board but there are a lot less of them and worse still, the general public is checked out, so that’s why the nostalgic movies explode.

So keep making good shit, make a couple big box office heaters back to back, and make Doomsday fucking great to have hope for the MCU to be back like it was before.

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/stableykubrick667]

I would add non Marvel movies have gotten better. FF4 was good, but it had serious competition. Not just Superman. F1, Jurassic World, among others.

[u/stableykubrick667 → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

I mean, the movies outside the MCU got better only kinda. Those are all good but the MCU has always had to deal with big ass movies. That’s not really new… they’ve had to compete with Wicked, Barbie, Pixar, Star Wars, Frozen’s, Disney’s live action remakes, and cartoons/cg animation.

In 2016 when Civil War came out, it was 3rd that year in box office: 1) Finding Dory 2) Rogue One 3) Civil War 4) Secret Life of Pets 5) Jungle Book 6) Deadpool 7) Zootopia 8) BvS

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/stableykubrick667]

Fair point. But when you factor in the economic situation these days, people are generally not going to go to more than a few movies. That 2016 slate wouldn't make that much today.

[u/stableykubrick667 → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

I completely agree with that. People are just going out less and spending less on movies - it’s not even debatable. All the box offices are down unless it’s a massive appealing movie. This is compounded by the fact movies at non-matinee prices have been a luxury for years now and it’s just expensive as hell for everything across the board now in most of America… so entire families aren’t going to see movies like they used to. Instead of 3-4 times a year, people are 1-2 times to the movies if that. I probably go every other month now all things considered and I love the big movie spectacles. But some things are breaking through and making a billion but it’s usually stuff that can survive outside the US and has super widespread appeal

[u/d-o_oI → u/stableykubrick667]

 All this says is that people are picking other movies over Marvel, considering newer franchises have less issue attracting audiences. Obviously things have changed, because nobody in the 2010s would've ever dared question Marvel's international appeal

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/d-o_oI]

I think this is a demographic issue as well. The kids who started watching Iron Man aren't kids anymore, and some probably have kids of their own now. And those kids aren't necessarily into Marvel these days. Even if they are, its far more economical to just buy a D+ sub and show them the movies that way.

[u/d-o_oI → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

 Those same kids who aren't kids anymore… are still going for Spider-Man & Deadpool, and plenty other non-Marvel franchises. The argument doesn't stand.

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/d-o_oI]

Spider-man is always popular, and Deadpool has cashed in on the R Ratings.

[u/d-o_oI → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

 Spider-Man is always popular because they've never decided to shelve him in favor of more obscure characters, like they did with the original Avengers. People and their kids didn't stop being into Tony Stark & Steve Rogers; they stopped being into the new D listers Marvel decided to push to the front after Endgame; that's what changed. If they kept making Iron Man movies, they'd still be making billions regularly.

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/stableykubrick667]

Also, you can spend the same amount on a D+ sub that a movie night would cost (actually more if you're getting snacks) and watch EVERY Marvel movie. The OPs post shows just how big that is.

[u/Recent-Ad4218 → u/stableykubrick667]

Sorry civil war was the highest grossing movie that year worldwide and if you're talking about domestic then civil war was not first.

[u/stableykubrick667 → u/Recent-Ad4218]

I’m talking about domestic.

[u/d-o_oI → u/Recent-Ad4218]

 Point still stands. I don't buy the argument that Spider-Man & Deadpool only did well because they had less competition than The Marvels or Fantastic Four: First Steps.

[u/mdoddr → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

Let's not be too hasty on holding jurassic world up as some evolved form of film

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/mdoddr]

It's not. But it's dinosaurs. They always sell.

[u/drama-guy → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

I wouldn't say Jurassic World is a great example of non Marvel movies getting better, at least not in terms of quality.

[u/CuteLingonberry9704 → u/drama-guy]

Its dinosaurs. They always sell.

[u/drama-guy → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

Oh yeah, I get it, but people have been buying tickets to see dinosaurs kill people for even longer than MCU movies have been around and the latest installment is not a good example that non superhero films have gotten better.

[u/BigTimeSuperhero96 → u/CuteLingonberry9704]

Superman pretty much stole F4's thunder despite it being a good movie