Following the disappointing run of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania at the box office, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back on top at the box office. The latest entry in the highest-grossing film franchise of all time enjoyed a strong opening weekend with a $118.4 million debut at the box office in North America. In other territories, the film grossed $168.1 million for a total of $286.5 million.
Now in its second weekend, the film has proven it is popular with audiences as ticket sales only dropped by 49% at the domestic box office for a $60.5 million gross. This feat is impressive, given that of the 32 MCU films released so far, it is only the third film to experience a drop of 49% or less from its first to second weekend behind 2018’s Black Panther and 2011’s Thor.
This third installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has already surpassed the total gross of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania amassing a staggering $528 million at the global box office.
In the US and Canada, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has grossed an impressive $213 million and is, so far, currently the second highest-grossing film of the year behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Given the upcoming debut of Fast X, the Guardians' third outing has a limited timeframe to dominate the box office before the beloved Toretto family makes its grand entrance on the big screen and dominates the charts.
However, Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s performance so far will stir hope at Disney that the film can hold its own and possibly even beat the billion-dollar mark. If nothing else, such a decline shows that the film has strong word of mouth and will have a long run in theaters.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees the members of the team embark on a mission to save Rocket’s life. In the process, they will unearth his past, including his origins, and face some of his biggest foes, including the High Evolutionary who created him.
Despite the film’s impressive box office run as well as high audience ratings, the film fared less favorably with critics than its predecessors. We doubt Disney will be losing any sleep, though, since the audiences, which matter the most, are loving it and trooping to watch it in cinemas.
In other Marvel news, the studio’s planned reboot of Blade has been placed on hold because of the ongoing WGA strike that has ground Hollywood to a halt. The project was set to begin filming this summer with a September 2024 release in view. It remains to be seen what will happen next, although fans will be hoping the strike is resolved soon and work resumes on it.
Also, another Marvel reboot, Fantastic Four, is scheduled to begin filming next January. However, although unlikely, this will also depend on the outcome of the WGA strike and whether there is a resolution soon or not.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently showing in theaters globally.
