Marvel Studios' upcoming superhero film Eternals has first-day ticket sales that have already surpassed those of Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While Eternals was a highly marketed film, it faced the challenge of introducing newer heroes to the fold, so many were unsure of how it would do.
Eternals will be based on superhero comic books of the same name. The Eternals are Marvel's group of heroes created by the Celestials, who are traditionally depicted in the comics as creators of the Deviants and Humans (Thanos has both Deviant and Eternal DNA). Not many Marvel properties used them prior to this movie, so they may be one of Marvel's most unrecognizable heroes amongst casual fans.
According to Deadline, the film's advanced first-day ticket sales are ahead of both Shang-Chi and Black Widow. Tickets went on sale this past Monday and earned $2.6 million in only 24 hours. For comparison, Shang-Chi earned $1.4 million and Black Widow earned $2 million over the same period. This is welcome news for many who didn't expect Eternals to do that well, as the film has received the largest day-one sales of 2021 so far for AMC. Keep in mind these are just first-day sales and it's about the long race, not the short sprint. It looks good right now, but this doesn't determine its success since fans need to see how the film does after its theatrical run.
Fans should also know that there were reports of Black Widow's ticket sales being negatively affected due to it simultaneously being released on Disney Plus while playing in theaters. Right now, it seems Marvel is only in competition with itself, and many will see what the future holds for simultaneous releases depending on how well Eternals does at the box office. Eternals also runs the risk of coming out during the fall, which is typically known as flu season. So, many may be hesitant to go out to theaters, but fans will have to wait and see what really happens.
If the Guardians of the Galaxy, Shang-Chi, Iron Man and Ant-Man can go from being unknown to having a huge fan base, then so can the Eternals. They also have a very powerful machine behind them with the amount of star power associated with the film. The movie has the pieces in place to be a very good release for fans and newcomers alike, and if the sales are anything to go off, this is true now more than ever.
After this film, the pieces will be more in place for fans to see how the Marvel Cinematic Universe moves forward. Eternals will set the stage as Marvel Studios moves closer to the climax of its fourth phase of movie releases.
Eternals releases in theaters on November 5th, 2021.
Source: Deadline