Stephen King Criticizes 'The Marvels' Flop and Condemns Toxic Fan Behavior
Stephen King Criticizes 'The Marvels' Flop and Condemns Toxic Fan Behavior
Renowned author Stephen King recently expressed disapproval towards the negative reactions surrounding the lackluster box office performance of "The Marvels." Despite his personal disinterest in Marvel movies, King condemned the unsavory delight displayed by what he termed "adolescent fanboys" relishing in the movie's underwhelming opening.
"The Marvels," a high-budget Marvel Cinematic Universe installment, faced a challenging debut, amassing a mere $47 million domestically, marking the lowest MCU opening to date. The film's global reception wasn't significantly better at $68 million. King denounced the apparent celebration of this box office setback, particularly highlighting the involvement of three female superheroes and a female director, indicating a toxic reaction within certain segments of the audience.
Expressing his disdain, King took to X/Twitter, reaching out to his 7.1 million followers, labeling the glee over the film's failure as distasteful and questioning the reasoning behind reveling in its downfall. Additionally, he attributed part of the rejection to what he perceived as immature fanboy sentiments disapproving of the movie's focus on female protagonists.
This recent controversy surrounding "The Marvels" mirrors earlier instances of toxic behavior directed at female-led Marvel projects. Actress Brie Larson, who portrays Captain Marvel, encountered severe backlash from misogynistic trolls upon her casting announcement. The standalone Captain Marvel movie was subjected to negative reviews even before its release, courtesy of coordinated efforts by some disapproving fans to undermine its credibility on review platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMdB.
Acknowledging Larson's resilience amidst such adversity, her co-star Samuel L. Jackson highlighted her ability to withstand vitriolic attacks, asserting her authenticity in the face of sexist criticism.
The disappointing box office performance of "The Marvels" holds significance against the backdrop of Marvel's challenging year, with "Ant-Man and the Was: Quantumania" also experiencing underperformance, albeit after a strong initial opening. This trend highlights the impact of word-of-mouth and fan reception on movie success, underlining the complexities of audience engagement in the current film landscape.
https://x.com/stephenking/status/1723754733024780549?s=46
