Captain America: Brave New World opened to strong box office numbers over the Presidents Day holiday weekend, reaching an estimated $100 million in North America and nearly $192 million worldwide. The 35th film in Disney’s Marvel lineup marks Anthony Mackie’s first appearance as the iconic hero, replacing Chris Evans, while Harrison Ford portrays President Thaddeus Ross—a role taken over after William Hurt’s passing.
The film is playing in over 4,000 North American theaters and has generated significant interest among moviegoers. It has received lukewarm reviews, holding a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B– grade from CinemaScore, yet the box office results suggest solid audience turnout. Senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian stated, “This is the first blockbuster weekend of 2025.”
In the film, Mackie’s character faces an international crisis following the election of President Ross, played by Ford, as events spiral into a major catastrophe. Directed by Julius Onah, the movie’s narrative comes at a time when recent Marvel releases have shown a tendency for strong openings that taper off in subsequent weeks—a factor that industry experts will be watching closely.
Other films made their mark during the holiday period. Sony’s Paddington in Peru secured the second spot with approximately $13 million in weekend ticket sales and is expected to reach $16 million domestically. The family film has earned praise from critics, boasting a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade from CinemaScore. Meanwhile, Sony’s horror thriller Heart Eyes improved on its debut by collecting roughly $10 million over the weekend, pushing its domestic total to $22.6 million.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s Dog Man slipped to fourth place after two consecutive weekends at the top, adding about $9.7 million to a domestic total of $69.5 million. Rounding out the top five, Chinese animated adventure Ne Zha 2 posted around $7.3 million in weekend sales. The film, which is screening in 660 theaters across North America, has already exceeded $1.1 billion internationally.
Looking ahead, the performance of Captain America: Brave New World will be closely watched by Disney as the studio prepares for upcoming Marvel releases such as Thunderbolts on May 2 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25. A similar major release is not expected until Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White opens on March 21.
