Brave New World Hits $100 Million Debut

The Box Office Gets a Boost from the MCU’s New Captain America

The box office just got a cash infusion, courtesy of the MCU’s new Cap.

Sam Wilson Takes Flight as Captain America

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson has taken up the mantle of the star-spangled man with a plan, and thus far, he’s off to a heroic start. Despite tepid reviews, the film surpassed box office projections with an estimated $100 million domestic debut for the four-day holiday weekend, per Comscore.

While it’s far from the highest debut in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, the film ranks among the biggest Presidents’ Day launches on record, coming in fourth behind 2018’s Black Panther ($242 million), 2016’s Deadpool ($152 million), and 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($120 million). 

Overseas, the Marvel film picked up another $92.4 million, bringing its estimated global tally to $192.4 million. 

The Future of Captain America

Taking the form of a political thriller, the tentpole film sees Sam picking up the shield as the new Cap, just in time to help weather an international catastrophe following the election of President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford). Along with Sam’s return, the film introduces Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder, brings back Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, and presents a Red Hulk-ified Ross.

While Marvel, as always, has remained tight-lipped about what’s to come from future films in the franchise, Sam’s Captain America has been confirmed for an Avengers-level return. 

Paddington Returns with a New Adventure

Elsewhere, another hero made his much-anticipated return to the big screen, with a new entry in a beloved franchise. Yes, Paddington has returned: whimsy, epic adventure, and all.

Paddington in Peru debuted to $13 million in North America and is projected to hit $16 million by the end of the four-day holiday weekend. Abroad, it picked up another $7.3 million for an estimated global tally of $128.8 million, after rolling out last year in the U.K.

As the title promises, the film sees Paddington and company trek to Peru after the ritual bear discovers that his beloved aunt has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears. Determined to solve the mystery, the Brown family and their bear companion soon find they’ve stumbled across a legendary treasure in the rainforests of the Amazon.

Other Box Office Highlights

In less wholesome news, Heart Eyes is back with vengeance, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend. The slasher rom-com snagged an additional $11 million domestically for its $22.5 million pile. Evidently, nothing says romance quite like a horror film about a masked maniac wielding an ax against unsuspecting couples. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding lead the laugh-out-loud slaughterfest.

Dog Man wasn’t too far behind, enticing families into theaters to the tune of another $12.6 million. The animated adventure — based on the bestselling series by Captain Underpants scribe Dav Pilkey — now sits at $69.7 domestically and $84.5 million globally.

FAQs

Q: Will there be a sequel to the new Captain America film?

A: While Marvel has not officially announced a sequel, the success of Sam Wilson as Captain America indicates that more adventures may be on the horizon.

Q: How did Paddington in Peru differ from previous Paddington films?

A: Paddington in Peru took the beloved bear on a new adventure to South America, introducing audiences to new characters and settings.

Credit: ew.com