Latest Marvel News: 7.9 million becomes ‘The Marvels’ least favorite number as $950m might be enough to cast a deadly MCU rival in ‘Fantastic Four’

Let’s talk numbers. In a year when the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon generated almost $2.5 billion worldwide — that’s nearly as much as Avengers: Endgame did on its own — an MCU movie looks set to struggle to make $200 million by the time it leaves theaters.

So, it might be for the best if Marvel does as rumor indicates it may be doing and yoinks the star of one of those two monolithic movies that made up the “Barbenheimer” craze for its most highly anticipated reboot. However you add it up that would surely only equate to a fantastic result.

The Marvels vanishes into a box office black hole after just three weeks

Thought Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was an embarrassing flop for Marvel? Well, at least it remained in the box office top five for six weeks earlier this year. The Marvels, meanwhile, has officially ticked off yet another negative MCU record by being the first film in the franchise to vanish from the top five in just three weeks, as The Marvels only came in sixth this past Thanksgiving weekend with a measly $7.9 million haul worldwide (yes, worldwide). All in all, The Marvels is estimated to have earned around $189 million, so it’s genuinely possible it might not reach past $200 million, a feat once unthinkable for the all-powerful MCU.

Fantastic Four may steal from Marvel’s deadliest competition for its Doctor Doom

On the upside, Marvel is clearly doing its darndest to make sure this situation won’t be repeated with one of its most lucrative properties, 2025’s Fantastic Four. Cillian Murphy could be Doctor Doom. Apart from the Irish actor being a wonderful choice for the part, it certainly would be a canny move for Marvel to hire the man who helped Oppenheimer earn $950 million globally, knocking Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 into fourth ranking in the year’s highest-grossing movies. Even if all these stars in one film would mean the budget has to be stretched more strenuously than Reed Richards.

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries featurette spoils the MCU’s next (and possibly last) Halloween special

Disney Plus fans, rejoice, we now have our first look at Agatha: Darkhold Diaries thanks to a new featurette that premiered on the Blu-ray release of WandaVision (the final Marvel Special Presentation, as rumor has it Marvel is axing the brand due to Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special underperforming. Goodbye to an annual tradition killed off before it had the chance to get started.