TheQuartering [7/19/2021]
The box office collapse of Black Widow is very concerning.
Black Widow’s new box office numbers hit a low point, hinting at future problems with Marvel’s franchise movies under Disney ownership. Marvel has provided standalone movies for nearly all of the core Avengers, including a few new TV series for newer players, but Natasha Romanoff, as one of the first Avengers introduced in MCU’s Phase 1, has notably been left out of the primary focus. With Natasha’s tragic death in Avengers: Endgame (2019), Black Widow is a retroactive tribute to her character, putting to rest the original Avengers as it sets up storylines for the new.
The long-awaited standalone movie about Natasha Romanoff’s origins wasn’t only hit by hard box office numbers, but it’s also been subject to criticism about whether it really fits within the MCU Phase it was released in. Black Widow takes place immediately after Captain America: Civil War (2016), leading up to the events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which falls in the Phase 3 timeline, though technically kicks off the fourth. Audiences have been quick to note that introducing Black Widow’s solo story in Phase 2 or 3 may have given more justification for her death, exploring her torn family life and close bond with Clint Barton before Endgame.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Widow’s release date was pushed back over a year, contributing to its loss within the cultural forefront as a poignant memorial for a character fans have been with since 2010. Black Widow was always intended to be the MCU’s first follow-up to Phase 3 and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and while it still is the first Marvel movie to be released since 2019, its hype has been overshadowed by the success of Marvel’s Disney+ series WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki. While these may not be all of the factors contributing to Black Widow’s box office slowdown, let’s take a look at why the movie’s numbers don’t bode well for Marvel and Disney’s future.