“Captain America: Brave New World” opens with a strong $88.5 million, marking a major success for Marvel in 2025 despite mixed reviews.

“Captain America: Brave New World” has proven to be a box office powerhouse, surpassing expectations with a spectacular opening weekend.

The highly anticipated Marvel movie earned an estimated $88.5 million across North American theaters, with projections suggesting the film will reach the $100 million mark by the end of the Presidents’ Day holiday.

The Walt Disney Co. is eagerly watching as the movie continues to climb, with its global earnings forecast to hit $192.4 million by Monday.

This marks the largest opening for any film in 2025 so far, a promising sign for Marvel and Disney as they continue to dominate the entertainment industry.

“Brave New World” comes after a relatively quiet year for Marvel Studios in 2024, making this release an important moment in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The film’s strong opening signals that superhero films still have massive appeal, despite a recent dip in enthusiasm from some fans.

The success is seen as a critical moment for the MCU, especially after the lukewarm reception of last year’s “The Marvels.”

One of the most notable aspects of “Brave New World” is the shift in the iconic role of Captain America. Anthony Mackie takes up the shield, officially passing the torch from Chris Evans, who portrayed the character for nearly a decade.

Mackie’s portrayal of Sam Wilson as the new Captain America has been highly anticipated, offering a fresh take on the hero’s legacy.

The film also stars Harrison Ford, who plays the U.S. President, a character that undergoes a dramatic transformation into the Red Hulk.

While the film’s performance at the box office has been strong, critical reception has been mixed. “Brave New World” currently holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which qualifies it as “rotten.”

This is far from the worst-reviewed Marvel movie, with films like “Eternals” and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” faring worse in terms of critical reviews.

Despite this, the film’s audience response has been much more favorable, with a verified audience score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and a solid B- from CinemaScore polls.

Audience exit surveys indicated that men made up the majority of the movie’s opening weekend audience at 63%.

“Brave New World” achieved its success without being the highest-rated MCU film, reflecting the strong loyalty of superhero movie fans and Marvel’s enduring power at the box office.

Its performance also reflects the ongoing appeal of action-packed blockbuster films that connect deeply with audiences, regardless of critics’ opinions.

While the film is doing well, its opening performance falls within the middle range of MCU releases.

It sits somewhere between “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Thor: The Dark World” in terms of earnings, a respectable place for a movie that has ushered in a new era for the Captain America franchise.

The film had a production budget of $180 million, which is lower than some of the MCU’s bigger hits, but still highlights the sizable investment Marvel makes in its major blockbusters.

Marvel fans will have much more to look forward to in the coming months, as “Brave New World” is only the beginning of the company’s big 2025 lineup.

The movie is the first of three major Marvel releases this year, with “Thunderbolts” set to arrive in May, followed by “Fantastic Four: First Steps” in July.

These upcoming films continue the ongoing exploration of the superhero genre and are expected to bring even more excitement to Marvel’s ever-expanding universe.

The film’s strong opening weekend was not just about “Captain America.” It was also an important weekend for other films in theaters.

“Paddington in Peru,” the third film in the beloved family franchise, earned a respectable $13 million, marking its first North American release. The film is expected to hit $16 million by Monday.

“Heart Eyes,” a slasher film from Sony, has also found success, landing in third place with $10 million, up 20% from its debut weekend.

The Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” also made waves in North American theaters, earning $7.2 million despite being released on only 660 screens. This shows the growing global influence of international films in the U.S. market.

As the box office grows more competitive, international films like “Ne Zha 2” are starting to carve out a niche in North America, providing strong competition for Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

Overall, this weekend saw a 20% increase in box office revenue compared to last year, with “Captain America: Brave New World” playing a central role in this uptick.

The success of the film is expected to continue as the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend wraps up, with audiences flocking to theaters to catch the latest Marvel spectacle.

The strong showing sets the stage for a summer filled with superhero action, with Marvel’s future releases like “Thunderbolts” and “Fantastic Four” poised to continue this lucrative trend.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe enters its next chapter, all eyes will remain on how “Brave New World” performs in the coming weeks.

The film’s solid opening provides a glimpse into the continued dominance of superhero movies and Marvel’s ongoing impact on global box offices.