It sounds like Marvel Studios may have spent a lot more money on Captain America: Brave New World than we've been led to believe.
A recent THR report mentioned that the movie's production budget was “around $180 million, less than many other Marvel movies.” While this might well have been accurate back when filming commenced, The Hot Mic's Jeff Sneider has heard that extensive reshoots and marketing costs may have pushed the film's price tag closer to the $300 million mark.
If accurate, this would mean that Brave New World would need to take in at least $600 million by the end of its box office run to even sniff a profit.
Despite mixed/negative reviews (53% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences do seem to be getting more out of Sam Wilson's first solo outing as Cap, and opening weekend estimates are pretty strong. If Brave New World does manage to make anything close to $200 million worldwide over the President's Day holiday, it certainly has a chance of cracking $600M - but anything above $700M might be a long shot.
Whatever happens, it's probably safe to assume that Brave New World won't come anywhere close to the success of Deadpool and Wolverine, which would be seen as yet another setback for the MCU as we build towards the franchise's next big event, Avengers: Doomsday.
For what it's worth, Sneider has also heard that the studio is "very happy" with how The Fantastic Four: First Steps turned out, but is nervous about Thunderbolts*.
The trailers for the antihero team-up movie have gone over very well with fans, but we are talking about a relatively obscure property with no major, bankable stars (Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan are by far the biggest names), so it could turn out to be a hard sell for general audiences.
Have you been to see Brave New World yet? Let us know in the comments section, and drop back later on for our poll and spoiler discussion.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Captain America: Brave New World also stars Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.