Cosplayers at the UK Photocall of Marvel Studios' "Captain America: Brave New World" in London. (Jan, 2025, Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

Marvel Studios had a strong 2024 — can it sustain power at this year’s box office?

Disney’s not done squeezing the juice from Marvel.

Millie Giles

2/5/25 12:30PM

With the trailer for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” dropping yesterday, and Disney reporting nearly $25 billion in revenue this morning, aided by bumper box office sales, the entertainment giant will be hoping that its key Marvel franchise can maintain the ticket-shifting momentum set by “Deadpool & Wolverine” last year.

While Marvel Comics go back as far as 1939, its entertainment business was acquired by the House of Mouse for a cool $4 billion in 2009, following the (somewhat unexpected) success of Marvel Studio’s first film, “Iron Man (2008)".

Ironclad

For the next decade, Marvel hammered out one star-spangled smash hit after the other — most notably, the Avengers two-parter in 2018 and 2019, the latter of which is now the second highest-grossing movie of all time having accrued ~$2.8 billion. But then, Marvel movies began stalling in cinemas as signs of superhero fatigue started to set in.

After “Endgame”, nine movies in succession — aside from fan favourite Spider-Man flicks — failed to reach the $1 billion mark, including ensemble movie “The Marvels (2023)”, the studio’s largest flop to-date. Marvel then stayed pretty quiet… until mid-2024, when “Deadpool & Wolverine” strutted to the 8th biggest opening weekend ever and a $1.34 billion total worldwide gross.

X Factor

Looking ahead, Marvel is banking on some classic formulas used in “Deadpool & Wolverine” to help it keep pace at the box office throughout the six film releases the studio has slated at present.

As always, sequels are a pretty safe bet — particularly for beloved franchises like Captain America, the fourth installment of which is set to hit screens in a week’s time. Extravagant fight scenes and easter eggs are to be expected, per the new trailer for the “Fantastic Four” reboot. And, of course, a dash of nostalgia… which might be why Marvel has recast Robert Downey Jr. for its upcoming Avengers movie.

Strive Pharmacy recently broke ground on a new facility in Mesa, Arizona. (Strive Pharmacy)

Before Hims’ GLP-1 pill fallout, its pharmacy partner was already drawing scrutiny from state regulators

Strive has already been probed over the timing of its GLP-1 compounding. Now, Arizona regulators are looking into complaints about ketamine misuse and improper distribution of prescription drugs.

SharkNinja hit an all-time high this week, as its killer growth streak continues

The viral appliance maker’s sales have more than quadrupled since 2018.

Surreal image of great white shark swimming in bedroom

Claire Yubin Oh

in this econemy?

2/12/26

Van Leeuwen, America’s fastest-growing dessert chain, is looking to expand abroad

The boutique ice cream chain is looking to open at least 300 new shops in South Korea over the next decade.

J. Edward Moreno

2/10/26

Hims built a boundary-pushing health business. Now the legal risks are catching up.

Hims is close to trading as if it never began selling GLP-1s.

Nate Becker2/7/26

Hims to stop offering copy of Wegovy pill following FDA scrutiny

Hims & Hers said it has decided to stop offering its newly launched copycat version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, after the telehealth company drew criticism from the Food and Drug Administration.

“Since launching the compounded semaglutide pill on our platform, we’ve had constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry. As a result, we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment,” Hims wrote on X.

Shares of Hims are down double digits in premarket trading on Monday, while Novo Nordisk ADRs are up more than 6% as of 5:20 a.m. ET.

On Friday afternoon, the FDA said it would take “decisive steps” to restrict GLP-1 compounding. Department of Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart said on social media Friday he had referred Hims to the Department of Justice “for investigation for potential violations by Hims of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable Title 18 provisions.”

Hims launched the product last week, a seeming copy of a recently released and patented drug, which immediately drew fire from Novo Nordisk and regulators.

Hims & Hers Comms on X