Marvel Studios' ANT-MAN was No. 1 in the box office this past weekend making it the studios' 12th No. 1 opening weekend film in a row. A remarkable feat for any studio to accomplish.
Yet, ANT-MAN didn't open to huge numbers as Marvel Studios films usually open with; although its $58 million domestic take is still solid. ANT-MAN had the second lowest opening weekend for the studio just barely beating THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which only opened to $55 million in 2008.
ANT-MAN did have the smallest production budget of any Marvel Studios film so it already has a built-in low risk factor in case it doesn't pull in a lot box office cash. But its reported $130 million budget is not the bottom line, usually studios total cost in production and marketing is double the production budget. So the bottom line cost for ANT-MAN is probably closer to $250 million.
There's little doubt ANT-MAN will bring in somewhere in the $400-$500 million worldwide range, but is that enough for the studio to green light a sequel? Or a prequel?
Director Peyton Reed said he would love to return for a sequel or prequel and either route would be fine for the studio but a prequel would be able to tell more about the stories of a younger Hank Pym as Ant-Man as well as his wife Janet van Dyne as the Wasp. But then a sequel would show Hope van Dyne as the Wasp and since it was revealed she will become the new Wasp, lots of fans want to see actor Evangeline Lilly in action as the female super hero who teams up with Paul Rudd's Scott Lang.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER only made $370 million worldwide and got sequels and THOR made $449 million worldwide and also got sequels so it's a matter of if Marvel Studios wants to continue telling the story of ANT-MAN. Remember that GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY was an anomaly because it was a smash hit right off the bat where as ANT-MAN seems to be following more along the path of the first Cap and Thor movies.
Only its total box office tally will result in a possible green light for a sequel or prequel and while ANT-MAN hasn't made huge numbers like recent Marvel films of the past few years, it isn't doing as bad as many are claiming with their sensationalism headlines, social media posts and articles.
As the end credits stated, "Ant-Man will return" in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. But will he return in another solo movie? Fans will have to wait and see because it's all about its box office performance now.
Related Posts: ANT-MAN Opens With $58 Million in the U.S. and is Marvel Studios' 12th Consecutive No. 1 Opening Weekend Movie Release
ANT-MAN Production Budget Reported to be $130 Million Which is the Smallest of Any of the Marvel Studios Films