With Captain America 4 and The Monkey now dominating theaters, their box office results and audience responses are generating significant buzz within the industry. While Captain America: Brave New World kicked off with strong numbers, its second-week performance has sparked comparisons to past MCU films. Conversely, The Monkey has achieved a remarkable start, marking the year’s top horror opening and solidifying a win for its distributor.
Captain America: Brave New World’s box office remains strong
Disney and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World experienced a 68% drop in its second weekend, earning $28.2 million. Despite this decline, the film secured its position as the leading title at the box office, outpacing all competitors. It has now grossed $141.2 million domestically and $148.2 million internationally, totaling approximately $289.4 million worldwide. With a production budget of $180 million, its break-even point is estimated at around $425 million.
The 68% drop is notably lower than that of The Marvels (-78%) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (-70%), though it is steeper than Deadpool & Wolverine (-54%) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (-48%). Audience reception has been mixed, reflected in its B- CinemaScore, suggesting that maintaining momentum may be challenging. IMAX screenings contributed $2.3 million to the weekend total, bringing large-format earnings to $13.2 million. The film’s second Friday earned $7.2 million (-82% from the first Friday), followed by $12.8 million on Saturday and $8.2 million on Sunday.
The Monkey debuts strong in second place
The Monkey, a new horror release from Neon, opened with $14.2 million, marking the distributor’s second-highest debut after Longlegs ($22.4 million). Despite a C+ CinemaScore, it stands out as the strongest horror opening of 2025 so far. The majority of ticket buyers were in the 25-34 age group (35%), with men making up 58% of the audience.
Neon reported spending under $300,000 on TV advertisements, primarily leveraging digital marketing. The trailer garnered over 100 million views within just 72 hours. Marketing efforts included screenings, influencer figurines, and an impressive 8-foot monkey display. Premium large format screenings accounted for 12% of the box office, demonstrating strong traction in major urban areas.
Both The Monkey and Captain America: Brave New World continue to entertain audiences in theaters.
