Sorry, Sam Wilson, Kevin Feige reckons Marvel fans missing OG shield-wielder Steve Rogers was a big reason Captain America: Brave New World underperformed at the global box office.
During a roundtable conversation attended by Deadline and other outlets, the MCU boss claimed that the disappointing earnings were due to the movie being "the first without Chris Evans" – and he didn't expand on the theory beyond that.
Evans' Cap famously encouraged his pal Sam to take on the mantle and lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Endgame, having chosen to remain in a different timeline and grow old with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).
Directed by The Cloverfield Paradox's Julius Onah, Captain America: Brave New World sees Anthony Mackie's former Falcon come into his own as the eponymous do-gooder, with the help of original super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), and more. Tim Blake Nelson, Rosa Salazar, Liv Tyler, and Harrison Ford, who plays Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk, round out the cast.
It cost around $180 million to produce and, according to Box Office Mojo, made approximately $415.1 million worldwide. In comparison, Captain America: The Winter Soldier pulled in $714.1 million back in 2014, while Captain America: Civil War made a whopping $1.15 billion.
Lack of Chris Evans aside, people may have avoided the movie in theaters due to its middling reviews (the film currently holds a 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes), and knowing that new Marvel releases are usually dropped on Disney Plus around 90 days after release.
For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.
