Marvel Studios has dominated the blockbuster box office, having some of the biggest popcorn flicks in recent memory. The Avengers, for example, delivered the biggest opening weekend of all time upon its release (until later being beaten by Jurassic World earlier this year). And while its follow-up, Avengers: Age of Ultron, might not have reached quite the same heights as its predecessor, it still delivered yet another hit for the studio, with just under $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office so far.
The massive success Marvel has enjoyed has afforded them the opportunity to take on some riskier projects, with the most obvious case being Guardians of the Galaxy last year. In spite of those who doubted that film's potential, Guardians opened to a surprising $94 million in its opening weekend alone. In turn, Marvel continued to take on even riskier films, like their most recent release, Ant-Man.
Starring Paul Rudd in the titular role of the micro-sized superhero, Ant-Man hit theaters this weekend, making $58 million according to early estimates. That means Ant-Man is Marvel's second lowest opening weekend, in front of The Incredible Hulk's $55 million, but it may not be as disappointing as it may seem. In fact, Ant-Man could end up delivering above expectations, despite its seemingly small start.
For one, Marvel managed to make Ant-Man on a smaller budget, with the price to make the film coming out to about $130 million. The less money it takes to make a film, the more potential for profit, and with a fairly small cost when compared to some other superhero blockbusters, Ant-Man should have no trouble managing to churn a profit. Ant-Man was always meant to be on a smaller scale than some of Marvel's team-up films, while also continuing the Marvel Cinematic Universe forward in the direction that Age of Ultron started it in.
The global box office for Ant-Man is already big as well, with it making $114 million already. Considering that it has yet to open in several large international markets, Ant-Man's box office is still on the rise. Ant-Man has also received fairly good word-of-mouth so far, from both critics and audiences alike, meaning that there's a strong chance that the more casual moviegoers who didn't rush out to see it this weekend will get around to going to a showing before it leaves theaters.
So for those who thought Ant-Man was a disappointment, you may want to reconsider. The smaller-scale superhero flick has turned in impressive numbers so far when compared to its budget, and the box office numbers show no sign of shrinking anytime soon. Ant-Man has done more than serve its purpose by providing a refresher after the massive Age of Ultron while also setting the stage for Captain America: Civil War next year and the rest of Marvel's upcoming Phase 3.
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Ant-Man is now playing in theaters. Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016; Doctor Strange– November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man reboot – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Black Panther– July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – November 2, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 201
Source: Forbes