Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster, Captain America: Brave New World, has grossed an impressive ₦226 million in Nigerian cinemas within just two weeks.
According to data from the Nigerian Box Office, the film earned an additional ₦57.2 million between February 21 and February 23, 2025, following a strong opening weekend that saw it rake in ₦137.5 million.
Despite its solid performance in Nigeria, the film is experiencing a significant decline in global earnings.
Steep Drop in Global Box Office Earnings
In North America, Brave New World suffered a sharp 68% drop in its second weekend, earning just $28.3 million from 4,105 theaters. So far, the movie has made $141 million domestically and $289.4 million worldwide—a concerning figure for a film with a reported production budget exceeding $180 million (excluding marketing costs).
Marvel's Box Office Challenges
The steep second-week decline is consistent with recent Marvel releases. Brave New World's drop is comparable to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which fell 70% after a $106 million debut, whereas Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw a more moderate 47% decline after its $118 million opening weekend.
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Other Marvel films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder also saw 67% second-weekend drops, but they started off stronger with higher initial earnings.
What's Behind the Decline?
Several factors may be contributing to Captain America: Brave New World's underperformance:
Mixed Reviews & Weak Word-of-Mouth – The film has struggled to generate excitement among audiences.
Superhero Fatigue – Marvel movies no longer have the automatic draw they once did.
Stiff Competition – Other blockbuster releases may be taking away potential viewers.
Can Brave New World Recover?
If the film continues on its current trajectory, it could struggle to reach $500 million globally, much like Quantumania. This raises concerns about Marvel's ability to maintain its box office dominance, particularly as audiences become more selective about superhero films.
However, the film's strong performance in markets like Nigeria suggests that regional audiences still have a strong appetite for Marvel content, even as global enthusiasm appears to wane.
