“Captain America: Brave New World” is sending mixed signals

Captain America: Brave New World soared into theaters this past weekend, earning a higher-than-expected $100 million in North America.

It marks the fourth-largest Presidents’ Day weekend debut at the domestic box office, trailing fellow Marvel titles Black Panther ($242 million), Deadpool ($152 million), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($120 million).

But Cap and Falcon aren’t celebrating just yet. Despite the film’s high box-office numbers, critics and audiences liked it about as much as Cap liked Iron Man in Civil War (not at all).

• Brave New World currently has a 49% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the third-lowest score for any Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
• Opening-day audiences also appeared unimpressed, awarding the movie a B- on CinemaScore – tied for the worst score in MCU history.

A potential explanation: Many fans on both sides of the political spectrum are reportedly choosing to boycott the film, following multiple controversies over casting choices and the inclusion of certain characters ahead of its release.

📸 Big picture: The MCU has struggled to find its footing at the box office ever since the record-breaking success of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, with many analysts blaming an oversaturation of content. Last year, CEO Bob Iger announced a renewed focus on “quality over quantity” when it comes to Marvel – though there are a record-tying nine projects set for release this year (three movies, three live-action shows, three animated shows).