It's no secret that before the Covid-19 pandemic, movies were at an all-time high in terms of attendance and box-office numbers. While the cinematic world has seen a decline in independent, small-budget features that highlight concepts such as the human condition and tragedy, the cinematic world has also seen a resurgence through the light of big-budget blockbusters from established studios and I.P. content. Or at least, it had.
Thanks to Covid-19 and the shutting down of all non-essential businesses two years ago, the very idea of having movie theaters at all was threatened to become a thing of the past. This was due to public health to prevent people from cramming into packed theaters and because studios were shut down for months. The massive flow of new, big-budget movies slowed down to barely a trickle.
Luckily, with society trying to get back to a sense of normalcy, big-budget movies are starting to pour out again, and audiences are back to piling into theaters to watch them... or are they? Despite several studios releasing big-budget blockbusters this year, only one movie (the MCU's Spider-Man: No Way Home) was able to break the $1 billion mark at the box office. So, with several studios releasing big-budget blockbusters and none even coming close to the $1 billion mark, it begs the question - is the MCU the only studio left that can make solo $1 billion movies post-Covid?
MCU's Success
Spider-Man: No Way Home didn't just break the $1 billion mark -- it completely shattered it by catapulting to over $1.8 billion worldwide as the third highest-grossing MCU film and the sixth highest-grossing film ever. As impressive as that feat is, Spider-Man: No Way Home might not even be the highest-grossing MCU film of the next 12 months. Doctor Strange 2, Thor 4, and Black Panther 2 are all slated to premiere this year and all during holiday seasons (notorious for moviegoers).
Despite Spider-Man being one of the most popular MCU heroes, all three of those upcoming movies have realistic chances of surpassing No Way Home at the box office. Doctor Strange 2 is incorporating the multiverse and combing all Marvel movies into the MCU. Meanwhile, Thor has seen a resurgence since Taika Waititi took over the franchise and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. Fans are also desperate to see who will take up the mantle of Black Panther with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman back in 2020. However, despite how well Spider-Man and future MCU movies are tracking to perform, it should be noted that the MCU's three other 2021 movies (Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Eternals) all barely broke the $400 million mark at the box office, but that's largely due to their early release dates on Disney+.
The Batman's Success
While The Batman is undoubtedly a success and has brought the character out of the DC shadows, the movie hadn't broken $500 million after its second weekend was a tad concerning. Don't get the wrong idea -- $500 million post-Covid is still a commendable feat, and few have been able to do it (as already stated, the MCU's three other 2021 movies didn't even reach it). That said, there have been multiple billion-dollar DC projects in the past (including The Dark Knight, Aquaman, Joker), and the concept isn't something new to them. I.e., the fact that Batman is arguably DC's most popular character, the new movie is cinematically a success. DC has had multiple billion-dollar flicks in the past, and it all adds up to negative news.
Things could still turn around for DC and other studios that have failed to reach $1 billion since the shutdown. After all, fans are slowly starting to make their way back to theaters as more and more people become comfortable venturing out into society. Still, the fact that The Batman won't get anywhere close to $1 billion is something that studios need to keep an eye on for their future release schedules.
Other Big-Budget Box Office Numbers
Billion-dollar movies are nothing new. There have been 49 total, with only four arriving in the 20th Century (Titanic, Jurassic Park, The Lion King, The Phantom Menace). However, the pattern of billion-dollar movies has become much more frequent in recent years than ever before (38 were released from 2010-2020, with 27 being released from 2015-2020), with franchises like James Bond and Fast and Furious joining the MCU and DCEU in the billion-dollar club.
However, despite those franchises taking swings by releasing movies in 2021, they failed to reach their prior success. James Bond's No Time To Die only managed $775 million, while F9: The Fast Saga came in close behind it at $726 million. Other franchises tried their best, with Venom 2 reaching $500 million, Godzilla vs. Kong making $468 million, and newcomer Dune taking home $400 million. However, none were able to scratch the billion-dollar mark. It's still up in the air whether they ever will again.