“‘Captain America: Brave New World’ aims for a $100 million debut over the holiday weekend”

“Captain America: Brave New World” has made a significant impact at the North American box office, generating an estimated $88.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, as reported by studio estimates on Sunday. This latest release from Walt Disney Co. has dominated the box office as the biggest opener of 2025, with projections suggesting the film will surpass $100 million in domestic earnings and reach $192.4 million globally by the end of the Presidents’ Day holiday on Monday.

This film marks Marvel’s first significant release since “Deadpool & Wolverine” set records the previous summer, revitalizing a fanbase that was thought to be dwindling after the disappointing performance of “The Marvels.” “Brave New World” was screened in 4,105 locations across the U.S. and Canada and represents a notable shift for the “Captain America” franchise, featuring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who officially takes over the mantle from Chris Evans, who portrayed the character for nearly a decade. Harrison Ford also stars as the U.S. President, who takes on the role of the Red Hulk.

Despite its impressive opening numbers, the film faced challenges ahead of the weekend due to unfavorable reviews. Currently, it holds a score of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, categorizing it as “rotten.” While it is not the lowest-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—“Eternals” holds a 47% rating and “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” has a 46% rating—it nonetheless finds itself on the lower end of the scale.

In a review, a critic described the movie as “a processed, empty calorie, regret-later candy of a film.” In contrast, general audience feedback has been more favorable, with a verified audience score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and a CinemaScore of B-. Exit surveys indicated that men comprised 63% of the audience during its opening weekend.

The bar for the year’s largest opening wasn’t particularly high, as “Dog Man” held the previous title for two weeks with a $36 million debut. The performance of “Brave New World” falls into a mid-tier range for MCU films; adjusting for inflation, it stands between “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Thor: The Dark World.” The film’s production budget was relatively lower than many large-scale Marvel movies, reportedly around $180 million, not including marketing expenses.

With only one Marvel release in 2024, “Brave New World” is the first of three major theatrical launches planned for 2025, followed by “Thunderbolts” in May and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” in July. A senior media analyst noted that while the superhero genre has endured some challenges in recent years, public interest in these films remains significant.

In the second spot at the box office was “Paddington in Peru,” the much-anticipated third installment of the beloved series, which finally debuted in North America, earning approximately $13 million. It is expected to reach around $16 million by Monday after previously garnering $104 million from its international release since its UK premiere in early November 2024.

Directed by Dougal Wilson, who took over for Paul King, “Paddington in Peru” also features a recast of Mrs. Brown, with Emily Mortimer stepping in for Sally Hawkins, while Ben Whishaw continues to lend his voice to the titular character.

Following in third place was Sony and Screen Gems’ slasher film “Heart Eyes,” which made $10 million, marking a 20% increase from its debut last weekend. “Dog Man” ranked fourth with $9.7 million, and rounding out the top five was the Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” which opened in 660 North American theaters and brought in $7.2 million. The overall box office revenue has increased by 20% compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, a new “Bridget Jones” film titled “Mad About the Boy” premiered straight on Universal’s streaming platform Peacock instead of in theaters in the U.S. However, it earned an estimated $14.9 million in the U.K. and Ireland and outperformed “Captain America: Brave New World” in those markets, with Universal Pictures International reporting $32.3 million in global gross receipts across 70 territories.

Final figures for domestic box office performance will be released on Tuesday, but preliminary estimates for ticket sales from Friday to Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, are as follows:
1. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $88.5 million.

2. “Paddington in Peru,” $13 million.

3. “Heart Eyes,” $10 million.

4. “Dog Man,” $9.7 million.

5. “Ne Zha 2,” $7.2 million.
6. “Love Hurts,” $4.4 million.

7. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $4.2 million.

8. “One of Them Days,” $3 million.

9. “Companion,” $1.9 million.

10. “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” $1.8 million.