Disney Faces Back-to-Back Box Office Disasters: 3 Major Flops in a Row!

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Disney has experienced a string of box office flops with three straight films that didn’t meet expectations. Known for its blockbuster movies, Disney’s recent releases in 2025 haven’t done well financially. This series of letdowns suggests a tough time ahead for Disney’s movie branch, but the future still looks promising.

Endgame grossed over 2.7 billion dollars worldwide, while a remake of The Lion King followed closely with $1.65 billion in earnings just a few months later.

This record-breaking blockbuster of the year, which holds the title for the highest grossing film ever, has already faded into the past, particularly as one of the largest film distributors hasn’t produced a significant box office success yet in 20XX.

3 Disney Box Office Misses to Start 2025

Captain America: Brave New World

Previously hailed as the pinnacle of Disney’s cinematic universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been experiencing turbulence since 2021, and unfortunately, “Captain America: Brave New World” didn’t manage to bring about a much-needed stabilization. As the debut film featuring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson in the main role, it held promise for a fresh, daring start. However, it fell flat instead. Despite earning $415.1 million globally, it failed to ignite excitement among audiences or critics.

The subpar response to the movie has sparked debate about Disney’s current strategy in Marvel storytelling. Critics have highlighted inconsistent tone, numerous reshoots, and uncertain creative guidance, problems that seem to be recurring issues in Disney’s recent Marvel productions. Although Brave New World didn’t completely flop, its average performance further weakened the MCU’s previously unbreakable reputation.

Snow White

2025’s Disney remake of the classic tale “Snow White” was already encountering numerous challenges prior to its debut. The project has been beset with production difficulties and ongoing debates, stemming from alterations to the original storyline, confusion about the new dwarf characters, and remarks by actress Rachel Zegler that ignited a wave of online discussions.

2025 marked the disappointing release of “Snow White” in cinemas on March 21st. Unfortunately, this movie fell flat with audiences, garnering only $204.8 million worldwide – a dismal figure compared to Disney’s standards for live-action remakes. To put it into perspective, even the supposedly underperforming “The Little Mermaid” from 2023 managed an impressive $569.6 million globally. The lackluster performance of “Snow White” reportedly led to Disney reassessing its upcoming remake lineup, allegedly halting plans for a live-action adaptation of “Tangled”. As a movie reviewer, I can’t help but wonder if Disney will be able to bounce back from this misstep and deliver the magical experiences we’ve come to expect from them.

Thunderbolts*

For more than 17 years, Disney has consistently launched its Marvel movies in early May, with great success starting from Iron Man on May 2, 2008. However, even a movie as well-made as Thunderbolts*, released within the studio’s most reliable timeframe, isn’t invulnerable to subdued earnings. Despite positive reviews (earning 88% from critics and 94% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes) and a smart mid-production rebranding as The New Avengers, the film has only grossed about $328 million worldwide so far. Current predictions suggest that its domestic performance will land between $200–$210 million, which is satisfactory but not sensational.

For Disney, this performance signifies a fresh truth: general viewers appear less eager to watch Marvel films if they don’t feature well-known or prominent characters taking the lead. While Thunderbolts is linked to Avengers: Doomsday, the diverse cast consisting of lesser-known or previously supporting characters failed to produce the usual excitement that once came with the Marvel label. This serves as a warning for Disney’s future plans: familiar names and established franchises might be more important than ever, and not every Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film can rely solely on goodwill.

Disney’s Strong Theatrical Outlook in 2025

Despite a rocky beginning to the year, Disney’s future film schedule holds promise for a significant recovery in 2025, with much of that optimism stemming from the highly anticipated release of “Lilo & Stitch.” Following impressive reviews from critics, particularly for newcomer Maia Kealoha’s portrayal of Lilo, this film has proven to be a massive success at the global box office, amassing over $610 million worldwide in just under two weeks.

The considerable success of Lilo & Stitch makes Snow White’s setback seem less significant, ensuring that Disney’s live-action adaptation factory continues to operate, provided the original movies remain popular among contemporary audiences and their reinterpretations are well-received by viewers.

Thunderbolts” is yet to be officially announced by Marvel Studios.

Among the exciting newcomers in our lineup, I find myself particularly intrigued by Elio, a fresh creation from Pixar, and Freakier Friday. Although Elio, being a new brand, might struggle due to lacking established support, Freakier Friday has potential to outshine expectations. As a sequel, it resonates strongly with Gen Z and Millennial audiences, especially those who fondly remember the 2003 Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis classic. With its reprise, Disney might just score an unanticipated victory during the late summer season.

To round off the year, Disney is set to launch two highly anticipated blockbusters: “Zootopia 2” in a Thanksgiving slot that’s been profitable for Disney in the past, and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in December, potentially the biggest global release of the year. With these movies approaching, there’s still a chance for Disney to revamp its theatrical success story by the end of 2025.

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2025-06-03 05:35