The Marvels is already in many theaters around the world and the social media embargo lifted on Nov. 7 to much positivity (not that this means a great deal). But Marvel Studios has been surprisingly strict with their reviews embargo, which will also reveal the Rotten Tomatoes score. Well, now the long wait is over.
The Marvels debuted on the Tomatometer with a lowly 54 percent, but as of writing is now at 62 percent, meaning it’s currently rated “fresh”. This score puts it slightly above Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, as the third worst-reviewed MCU movie to date.
Marvel Studios will be manning panic stations over this score, as The Marvels is already facing an unexpectedly difficult box office climb, with the current projection of a $140 million opening weekend, which would put it $300 million behind 2018’s Captain Marvel.
Admittedly Captain Marvel greatly benefited from being sandwiched between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and if The Marvels really is a box office dud expect an avalanche of editorials insisting that “superhero fatigue” has made audiences give up on convoluted superhero stories.
As always, the proof will be in the pudding, though the situation has left many anticipating a shift in direction from Marvel Studios going forward, with fewer spinoff Disney Plus TV shows and a firmer focus on straightforward storytelling that’s not wound up in confusing multiversal madness.
But, for now, all we can do is wait to see how The Marvels performs and what it hints about the future of the MCU.