MCU: Black Widow had a rough release, but still outsold two original Avengers at the box office

After five action and emotionally-packed phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the franchise today sits with $31.62 billion in earnings at the box office and $2.73 billion in earnings from home entertainment sales. Its biggest contributors are, of course, the last two Avengers films, which collectively made almost $5 billion.

However, there were disappointments too. One such film was the Scarlett Johansson-starrer Black Widow (2021), which might have been a bigger success had it not been released in July 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic was on the rise. By the end of its theatrical run, the film earned $380 million at the box office against its $288.5 million budget, making it the third lowest-grossing MCU film.

The two films that it beat at the box office were Captain America: The First Avenger ($371 million) and The Incredible Hulk ($265 million). Interestingly, these two films were part of a new story along with an Eternals twist in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World, which tanked at the box office with only $415 million earned. It was said to be made on a budget that went through the roof after re-shoots.

Scarlett Johansson and Disney had to enter a lawsuit for the MCU film

Following Black Widow's simultaneous release in theaters and on OTT, Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney as the decision robbed her of some bonuses she was entitled to. However, it was all sorted out after a month under undisclosed terms. Sources told Deadline, according to a September 2021 report, that the actress would get over $40 million from the company.

Black Widow was the last MCU film that Johansson would appear in. After that, her filmography has included Wes Anderson movies such as Asteroid City (2023) and The Phoenician Scheme (2025), besides the recently-released Jurassic World Rebirth.

Will Black Widow ever return in the MCU?

Black Widow might return but it may not be Scarlett Johansson. For now, her role has ended with Avengers: Endgame, so chances are her character won't appear in MCU films of the future. But then, we have entered the multiverse, so the makers can give her a cameo for fans.

Regarding a potential sequel, Black Widow director Cate Shortland told Radio Times that there might be a "different character." She said,

"I think Scarlett is really happy that she's leaving the party, you know, and she's not the last to leave. She decided she wanted to go. And I don't think she would want to come back at the moment."

Which is the worst-performing MCU movie to date?

The Marvels was a sequel to Captain Marvel (Image via Marvel Entertainment)

The 33rd film in the franchise, The Marvels, remains the worst-performing MCU film to date. The movie made $206 million at the global box office against its estimated $375-million budget. Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned the filming taking place during COVID-19 had a partial effect on this. However, there were several commentators who didn't agree with Iger.

Talking of box office disappointments, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) is another movie fans cannot forget. Many of them have cited the film's CGI as bad, but praised Jonathan Majors' and Paul Rudd's performances in it. There are plans for a fourth Ant-Man film but no official announcement has come in place as of this writing.

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