Captain America: Brave New World Soars with $12 Million in Box Office Previews – What This Means for the MCU!

Captain America is back! After a few years and a change in leadership, the Marvel hero returns in “Captain America: Brave New World.” This new adventure hits theaters this weekend and earned $12 million in its Thursday preview.

The latest Cap film is projected to earn $80 million to $85 million over its opening weekend, with expectations rising to $90 million to $95 million thanks to the extended President’s Day holiday. Internationally, the film is estimated to rake in around $110 million. However, it faces tough competition from China’s “Ne Zha 2,” which has already crossed $1 billion, and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” set to release on Peacock in the U.S. and in theaters worldwide. This movie comes with a hefty production cost of over $180 million, not including marketing expenses.

Despite a slow box office this year, “Brave New World” is set to have the biggest opening of the year so far. It should surpass the opening numbers of 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” which made $65 million. It might come close to 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which opened at $95 million, but it’s not expected to reach the massive $179 million opening of 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.”

In this film, Anthony Mackie takes on the role of the new Captain America, following his debut with the shield in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Previously, he appeared as the Falcon in the “Captain America” and “Avengers” films. Now, with Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers retiring in “Avengers: Endgame,” Sam Wilson officially takes on the mantle of Cap.

“Brave New World” places Sam Wilson in the middle of a chaotic international situation, largely thanks to President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Harrison Ford. Ross isn’t just a political leader; he transforms into the gamma-powered Red Hulk. The movie features a strong supporting cast, including Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Also releasing this weekend is “Paddington in Peru,” the third film in the charming bear series. It made $600,000 during Thursday previews and is expected to earn $15 million to $17 million for the holiday weekend. So far, it has brought in $103 million internationally.