Captain Marvel is not only tasked with saving the universe, but she also has the responsibility of saving the box office this weekend. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World gave the box office a bit of a jolt 2 weeks ago but Captain Marvel is the first big release of the year and it’s poised to do big business this weekend.
Captain Marvel is Marvel studio’s first female superhero movie. Much like Black Panther last year, Captain Marvel represents something much more than being the next superhero movie. Sure, Wonder Woman captured audiences and critics alike when it was released but this is Marvel and it being their first female solo mission is a big deal because of the quality we have come to expect from them. Anyway you cut this, Captain Marvel is bound to be not only a huge win for female-driven fare at the box office, but a triumph for women behind the camera and on this project that includes co-director and writer Anna Boden, co-screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet, EPs Victoria Alonso and Patricia Whitcher, Composer Pinar Toptrak, Co-editor Debbie Berman, Art Directors Elena Albanese, Lauren E. Polizzi, set decorator Lauri Gaffin, and costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays. It’s all about inclusion this weekend and Captain Marvel is ready to represent in a big way.
Captain Marvel is also being well-received by critics. The film is currently 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, with 186 reviews counted so far. Critics are usually on Marvel’s side and this release is no different. The promotion for the film has been moving full speed ahead with Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson making the rounds all over the place to sell the film. They’re pretty fun together on the junket circuit and this only helps push the film even further. Buzz has also been huge since early screenings started taking place because the reaction has been extremely positive and when you have the early approval of the internet on your side, you know you’re in a good place.
Some wonder if the trolls who have been against the film before they have even seen a single frame of it, will be an issue. I think that even the trolls who have tried to bash this film for a while now will still be turning over their hard earned money to see it. It’s “cool” to publicly try to derail movie but they’re mostly doing this behind the safety of their computer screens and don’t be surprised if you see some naysayers in your theater. The truth is, this is Marvel and there is always interest in what they are doing. The film is tracking in the $120-130 million range and I originally was going for the high end of that tracking but I’m going to go even higher and say that $150 million is a strong possibility.
