Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World is facing unprecedented turbulence at the box office despite its record-breaking $88.8 million domestic opening weekend – the biggest debut of 2025 so far. Early projections show a catastrophic 68% second-weekend drop to $28 million, potentially marking one of the worst declines in Marvel Cinematic Universe history alongside Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (67.8%) and Thor: Love and Thunder (67%).
The Anthony Mackie-led superhero film has grossed $109.7 million domestically through Tuesday, with international markets contributing $82.7 million for a $192.4 million global total. While Disney initially celebrated its Presidents Day weekend performance, analysts now question whether it can reach $300 million globally – a concerning figure compared to pre-pandemic MCU standards.
Global Box Office Highlights (February 14-23, 2025)
| Film | Weekend Gross | Total Gross | Key Markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain America: Brave New World | $88.8M | $192.4M | #1 in US, Mexico ($6.5M), South Korea ($4M) |
| Paddington in Peru | $12.7M | $17M | Family favorite counter-programming |
| Ne Zha 2 | $7.2M | $8.3M | Chinese animation breakout |
| Dragon (Tamil) | $2.1M | $2.1M | 66% India day-over-day growth |
Meanwhile in India, Pradeep Ranganathan’s comedy Dragon is rewriting box office rules – earning ₹17.3 crore ($2.1M) in two days despite a ₹35 crore ($4.2M) budget. The Tamil-Telugu bilingual project has already recovered 49% of its production costs and could triple its predecessor’s lifetime earnings by Sunday.
“This proves mid-budget regional cinema can compete with Hollywood tentpoles when they connect culturally,” said Koimoi analyst Rajesh Kumar.
The box office also saw surprise resurgences:
• Shutter Island crossed $299M global total in its 15th anniversary re-release
• Mufasa: The Lion King passed $242M worldwide despite being in theaters for nine weeks
Industry experts attribute Marvel’s struggles to superhero fatigue and increased competition from regional cinema breakthroughs. With Disney’s live-action Snow White remake tracking for a $65-85M March opening, all eyes remain on whether traditional franchises can adapt to this new cinematic landscape.
