You’ll Never Believe This is the MCU Infinity Saga Movie With the Worst Cinemascore

by

Since the introduction of Eternals (2021), the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga (encompassing Phases Four, Five, and Six) has seen a series of films that have been given B-range CinemaScore ratings. Movies such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder received B+ marks, while three MCU films (Eternals, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and The Marvels) each earned a B. This year, Captain America: Brave New World was the first MCU film to receive a B- rating.

Interestingly, you might find it hard to believe that every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first 25 films, with only 1 exception, earned A-, A, or even A+ grades. However, there was one film within The Infinity Saga – the franchise’s initial dip in audience approval for the Marvel movies.

Why Did Thor Get Such A Low CinemaScore?

On May 6, 2011, the film “Thor” debuted as the fourth production in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike the first two Iron Man movies that received A grades from audiences, “Thor” was given a B+ rating. This made it the only Marvel Cinematic Universe feature before “Eternals” to receive a grade below an A-. In comparison to other summer 2011 superhero films, “Thor” had a lower score than “Captain America: The First Avenger” (A-) and was on par with June’s “X-Men: First Class.” It significantly outperformed “Green Lantern’s” B rating.

It’s usually risky and unnecessary to guess what factors influence CinemaScore ratings, as they can be unpredictable and don’t always reflect a film’s future popularity through word-of-mouth. For instance, the more subdued ending and somewhat open-ended cliffhanger in the movie Thor might have left some viewers feeling unsatisfied. Typically, summer blockbusters, especially the highly praised ones, finish with grand spectacle and tied up loose ends. In this situation, the question mark over Jane Foster and Thor rekindling their relationship could have irked some viewers.

It’s possible that the relatively low CinemaScore for Thor might be due to audiences adjusting to seeing elements typically found in fantasy movies appearing in superhero films. After the first two Iron Man movies maintained a visual language of espionage and war, the introduction of multi-legged horses, swords, and rainbow bridges in Thor could have been off-putting for some who are accustomed to more realistic stories. Conversely, the heavy focus on an Arizona backdrop might have left long-time Thor fans wanting more cosmic action unfazed. This could explain why Thor was the only Infinity Saga movie with a CinemaScore grade lower than A-.

A Lower CinemaScore Grade Didn’t Stop Thor

An intriguing aspect of Thor’s cinematic adventure is that a B+ CinemaScore didn’t hinder it from turning into either a box office success or a film with extended runs. Contrary to expectations, the movie’s second weekend drop was only 47% domestically, which is one of the smallest second-weekend decreases for any Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Typically, a B-range CinemaScore for an MCU film suggests mixed audience feedback that would cause it to falter in its second week. However, Thor continued to perform well and earned approximately 2.8 times its initial $65 million domestic opening weekend.

In 2011, the internet culture didn’t have the same level of engagement with new comic book movies as it does today. Nowadays, there’s a vast network of social media and YouTube content creators who help promote these films through audience word-of-mouth. Back then, when Thor was released, the CinemaScore grade wasn’t widely known or discussed. It was more of a niche interest for online box office enthusiasts. Today, such information would quickly spread across popular TikTok accounts, potentially influencing the movie’s box office performance more significantly.

It’s possible that the concerns people had about Thor during its opening weekend didn’t stop people who were still eager to watch the movie. Additionally, films from 2011 generally held up better than they do now, as titles are released on premium-video-on-demand much faster in the 2020s. Despite ‘s lower CinemaScore and steady box office legs, its initial audience reception was unusual compared to other Infinity Saga titles. However, by Phase Five, such low CinemaScore grades became more common.

Thor is now streaming on Disney+.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/every-mcu-movie-ranked-from-worst-to-best-according-to-cinemascore/embed/#

Read More

2025-08-01 20:44