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The 2023’s writers’ and actors’ strikes have meant there have been less blockbusters hitting the screens than normal. Movies that may have brought Hollywood big bucks, like Mission: Impossible 8, were pushed back to 2025.

Marvel movies have been the closest thing to a guaranteed box office smash in recent years, but this summer has, so far, been unusually quiet on that front.

Some films have been critically praised and enjoyed by audiences – The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga have both received positive reviews with 7/10 and 7.7/10 ratings on IMDB – but failed to record astounding profits.

The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy had a budget of around $125-150 million and has made a profit of about $25 million. Compare this to a Marvel hit like Iron Man (around $400 million profit) or Captain America: Civil War (almost $1 billion profit) and that number seems pretty modest.

The Fall Guy is based on the 1980s TV series of the same name, and stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Gosling plays a bounty hunter who searches for an old flame, played by Blunt, who’s recently gone missing.

David Leitch, praised for his past films John Wick and Deadpool 2, directed the movie. He was joined by editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, who has been praised for the kind of sharp edits you can make in Final Cut Pro.

With Leitch in the director’s chair, Ronaldsdóttir editing, and a strong cast, you might have thought the film would be a sure hit. But BBC noted the movie as one of the season’s unexpected flops, with a headline that warned Hollywood of a “biblically disastrous summer”.

Some critics were kinder, but The Observer said that The Fall Guy “teems with contempt for the audience it is desperate to win over” and New York Post said, “Never for a second does the viewer buy that goofy Gosling is an in-demand stunt person who sets aside his ego for the betterment of a project.”

Furiosa

Though Furiosa did receive some excellent reviews from publications like Empire and Washington Post, other critics called it “bloated” and “naggingly episodic”. The Film Verdict said, “We’ve truly been down this road before, and none of [director George] Miller’s many talents can overcome the sense of familiarity that he’s already done all of this, and better.”

Despicable Me 4

Despicable Me 4 made a bigger impression, and grossed over $300 million. The series has been a reliable string of hits, with Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig praised for their voice acting roles. Carrell recently appeared at Wimbledon, and spoke about a scene in which his character Gru attempts to fit in at a “snooty” country club.

A Disappointing Summer

Still, the box office numbers so far have been disappointing for Hollywood. Streaming has had a great impact on the film industry, with the convenience and affordability of platforms like Netflix meaning more people are opting to stay at home.

There have always been movies that go straight to TV, but there are more than ever being made specifically for streaming services. Netflix has its own giant production company, which it hopes will add to its enormous profits. In 2023, the company grossed $5.4 billion. Apple and other streamers are hoping to rival their success.

The popularity of streaming and the uncertainty over how profits were shared was one of the main catalysts of the strikes last year. Those strikes ended in November, with actors and writers eventually coming to an agreement with the production companies.

The Delayed Slates and Future Films

Joining Mission: Impossible 8 in the films to have been delayed, Captain America: Brave New World is set for a February 2025 release, and two new Avengers movies have been pushed back to 2026 and 2027. Spider-Man 4, for now at least, does not have a release date.

Marvel may yet come to the rescue, with Deadpool & Wolverine set to hit the theatres on July 26. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are reprising their roles as Deadpool and Wolverine, and they’re joined by Emma Corrin, known for playing the Princess of Wales in The Crown series, and David Matthew Macfadyen, loved for his humorous and heart-breaking portrayal of Tom Wambsgans in Succession.

The Deadpool and Wolverines characters actually already came together on screen. Back in 2009, X-Men Origins: Wolverine had fans complaining that the Deadpool character didn’t match his humorous comic book roots.

That miss inspired Reynolds to try and make a hit with 2016’s Deadpool, which delivered fans what they wanted, and was universally acclaimed. That movie grossed $782 million from a $58 million budget.

Even the Marvel Universe has not quite hit the highest box office numbers over the last couple of years. After movies like Eternals, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels didn’t quite live up to expectations, Reynolds and Jackman will be hoping their movie can turn the tide.