Despite an astounding 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the latest MCU films, Thunderbolts*, underperformed at the box office relative to Marvel Studios’ expectations, with a $382 million figure (via The Numbers).
And yet, at the same time, some films were less stellar in terms of critical performance, but still managed to receive a larger figure at the box office. From MCU films like Thor: Love and Thunder to Sony’s Venom, here are six critically underperforming films that have earned more than Florence Pugh’s latest film.
6. Captain America: Brave New World – $415 Million
Before the release of Thunderbolts*, the MCU dropped this film, which, after extensive reshoots and rewrites, came out as a jumbled mess of an addition to the franchise.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| Captain America: Brave New World | Julius Onah | 2025 | 5.6/10 | 46% | 76% | $415 Million |
Therefore, with the narrative being confusing and incoherent, along with other factors at play, it became both a critical and commercial dud, but it still earned more than Pugh’s film.
Watch Captain America: Brave New World now on Disney+.
5. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – $476 Million
One of the biggest reasons for its critical failure is associated with its attempt to juggle family drama, Kang’s backstory, multiverse setup, and humor all at once, making the plot messy in the process. And with heavy reliance on CGI environments, the Quantum Realm looked artificial and inconsistent.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania | Peyton Reed | 2023 | 6/10 | 46% | 81% | $476 Million |
Then again, it was the start of Phase 5 after all, which, due to the public curiosity for what was ent in the MCU, made the film reach $476 Million at the box office.
Watch Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania now on Disney+.
4. Venom: Let There Be Carnage – $506 Million
Despite expectations of being grander, more visceral than its predecessor in the series, Venom: Let There Be Carnage suffered from a weak script and an even weaker execution. While Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson’s performance was amazing, they could only do so much with what they had.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| Venom: Let There Be Carnage | Andy Serkis | 2021 | 5.9/10 | 58% | 83% | $506 Million |
The film eventually closed its theatrical run with a $506 million box office collection and an adequate critical reception.
Watch Venom: Let There Be Carnage now on Starz.
3. X-Men: Apocalypse – $543 Million
While the visual spectacle was exceptional, X-Men: Apocalypse’s critical letdown was due to the weak writing that surrounded the main antagonist of the series, played by Oscar Isaac. Due to weak execution, the heroes didn’t feel like they were going against a challenge that would be one of their hardest, like advertised, leading to a letdown of a film.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| X-Men: Apocalypse | Bryan Singer | 2016 | 6.8/10 | 47% | 65% | $543 Million |
And while it may not have been as successful as its predecessor, it still managed to earn a substantial $543 million at the box office.
Watch X-Men: Apocalypse now on Disney+.
2. Thor: Love and Thunder – $760 Million
Being the God of Thunder and an Asgardian warrior, built for stoic decision-making and a regal demeanour, was almost made into a quippy simpleton in Thor: Love and Thunder. This over-reliance on campy humor and witty tone in the script made it feel completely unserious, taking away from the emotional story that was being told at the heart of the film.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| Thor: Love and Thunder | Taika Waititi | 2022 | 6.1/10 | 63% | 76% | $760 Million |
Still, it managed to generate an impressive $760 million at the box office, while ruining Thor’s character in the process.
Watch Thor: Love and Thunder now on Disney+.
1. Venom – $856 Million
Just like the differences between Eddie and Venom in terms of killing people, the film couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a dark, horror-inspired antihero story or a goofy buddy comedy. It was only worsened by the fact that the story started feeling rushed once Venom appeared, as if the movie wanted to skip ahead to just the fun parts.
| Marvel Film | Director | Year of Release | IMDb Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics|Audience) | Box Office |
| Venom | Ruben Fleischer | 2018 | 6.6/10 | 31% | 80% | $856 Million |
But it did the job, as contrary to expectations, the film managed to earn a staggering $856 million at the box office.
Watch Venom now on Disney+.
Do you agree with the list? Let us know in the comments below.
