Hollywood is undergoing a rude but truthful shock. Overbudgeted, big-money sequels once guaranteed box-office gold but are now producing astoundingly poor results, and studios are trying to figure out why viewers want to steer clear of theaters.
Franchise Fatigue Sets In
There’s a limit to how much audiences can tolerate of “overblown” franchises. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced more than 37 films, and casual audiences no longer come as a matter of right. When there is no excitement at all but just familiarity, then sales of tickets (inevitably and consistently) take a very strong hit.
Streaming Shifts Habits
Streaming services have revolutionized the way people enjoy entertainment today, with the rise of premium streaming platforms. For many movie theater fans, the home experience significantly outshines the theater experience, thanks to Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max streaming high-quality movies in the comfort of their own homes.
M3GAN 2.0 Flatlines
One of the biggest failings of a sequel in 2025 was M3GAN 2.0. According to Deadline and Variety, the sequel made a whopping $180 million worldwide on a $12 million budget, while the sequel made only $39 million on a $25 million budget. Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum oddly admitted that the studio had overestimated the franchise’s cultural longevity.
Captain America Stumbles
According to Collider, “Captain America: Brave New World” grossed just over $400 million worldwide with $180 million in production costs. This is the first time Disney has admitted that the movie made less money than it had hoped for a big-budget Marvel film, though it did make a profit, which offset the studio had been hoping for.
Tron Legacy Erased
One of the worst flops of 2025 was Disney’s Tron: Ares. The sequel, starring Jared Leto, made only $142 million globally to a purported $220-million budget, according to Deadline. The number is about 35 percent of Tron: Legacy’s 10-year-old gross.
Mission Impossible Disappoints
Box Office Mojo reports that the Mission: Impossible movies brought in $591 million worldwide, but with a $400 million production cost for The Final Reckoning. Despite breaking an all-time franchise opening weekend, industry analysts universally labeled it a disappointment due to marketing expenses.
Marvel Loses Momentum
According to Variety, the gross for the Thunderbolts is estimated to be $381 million worldwide, with a budget of $180 million. The MCU performs worse than initially anticipated, and it is a pattern that has been continuing since the weaker second-tier superheroes of the MCU have had a dress rehearsal in trying out for the premier film.
Joker Sequel Collapses
The 2025 talk of the town was Joker: Folie à Deux, which held on to the box office for a long time after it premiered at the end of 2024. The sequel was a $200 million flop on the global box office. Having grossed about $206 million, according to Deadline, it made one of DC’s lowest-grossing returns on a built-up franchise property ever.
Originals Finding Footing
In 2025, new concepts beat the old sequels time and time again. According to Variety, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners grossed $367M on a $90M budget while F1: The Movie grossed over $631M worldwide. Brave, innovative storytelling is paying off in the pocketbooks and the enthusiasm of audiences.
The Road Ahead
Avengers: Doomsday, new Star Wars films, and Toy Story 5 are just some of the films in the 2026 slate. Analysts caution studios to focus on quality and originality as well as brand recognition alone. Eventually, the box office abroad will be the judge of whether it’s a “known” or “new” idea – and “new” will win.
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