Box Office: Chinese Audiences Snub Captain America Brave New World as Marvel Film Earns a Dismal USD 1.4M in Second Weekend

Captain America: Brave New World continues to struggle in China, suffering an 86.8% drop in its second weekend as negative word-of-mouth and competition from local films take a toll.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 24, 2025 | 12:02 PM IST | 8.4K

Picture Courtesy: Disney

Captain America: Brave New World continues to struggle outside its domestic market, with its performance in China proving exceptionally disappointing. Suffering a dramatic 86.8% drop in its second three-day weekend, the film only earned USD 1.4M in the country. This includes a poor USD 400K second Sunday haul, down 76% from the previous Sunday, with over 12,000 screenings—19,000 fewer than the prior week. The film’s China cume now stands at USD 13.5M, a far cry from the stronger performance of previous Captain America entries.

Negative word-of-mouth (WOM) has severely impacted the film’s business, exacerbated by the delayed unveiling of audience scores. After being hidden for a week to avoid influencing potential ticket buyers, Brave New World’s Maoyan score was finally revealed at a dismal 6.3 stars—the lowest for a Hollywood blockbuster in recent years, even below The Marvels (6.4) and The Little Mermaid (7.4). On Douban, the film currently sits at 5.2, underperforming even Captain Marvel.

Starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, Brave New World sees him grappling with fresh global threats alongside Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, now taking flight as Falcon, and Harrison Ford debuting as Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, the new U.S. President. Tim Blake Nelson returns as Samuel Sterns/The Leader, bringing a long-dormant antagonist back into the Marvelverse, while Shira Haas joins as Israeli superheroine Sabra. Despite a star-studded lineup, the film’s narrative and execution have failed to resonate with audiences.

Several factors have contributed to Captain America 4’s lackluster performance both in China and globally. Fans miss Chris Evans as the titular superhero, who defined the character for decades before he departed from the role. Many argue that the new entry leans too heavily into political intrigue, overshadowing the trademark Marvel action sequences and ultimately disappointing viewers. The lack of a menacing villain also works against the film, leading it to be perceived as a mediocre offering without the depth and impact of its franchise predecessors.

Adding to its woes in China, audiences are favoring domestic productions such as Ne Zha and Detective Chinatown 1900, which debuted on Chinese New Year (Jan 29) and have maintained a stronghold in the market since. With Brave New World failing to capture even respectable interest in a market that has previously embraced the Captain America franchise, its future earning prospects remain grim.