The Marvel Slump? Theaters Just Proved They Don’t Need Superhero Movies to Make Billions
The domestic box office has reached a major milestone in May 2026, and it happened without a Marvel movie leading the charge. According to The Wrap, theaters in the U.S. and Canada crossed 1 billion dollars in ticket sales during the month. This marks the first time in history that the May box office has hit that level without any Marvel Cinematic Universe film or Marvel-related release playing a central role.
Box Office Mojo estimates that total domestic earnings for May 2026 are around 1.06 billion dollars. This makes it only the ninth time in history that May has passed the 1 billion dollar mark at the domestic box office. It is also the first time since the pandemic era that May has reached that level again, which suggests a strong recovery for theaters.
What makes this milestone stand out is the change in what is driving ticket sales. In past years, Marvel films were a key factor in pushing May box office numbers higher. Films like Iron Man 3, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and X-Men: Days of Future Past helped May pass the billion dollar mark in earlier years. Several Avengers films also contributed to similar results in 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
This time, however, the success came from a mix of original films and non-Marvel franchises. One of the biggest box office performers of the year is Michael, which has earned about 857 million dollars globally and became the top film of May domestically with around 210 million dollars. Another strong performer is Project Hail Mary, which brought in 677 million dollars worldwide. Other titles like Hoppers and Wuthering Heights also ranked among the top films of 2026 so far.
May’s box office strength was also boosted by surprise hits. The horror film Obsession became one of the standout success stories, growing from a modest opening weekend into a domestic total of more than 100 million dollars. The film’s strong word-of-mouth helped it stay in theaters longer than expected and turn into a major profit success.
Another surprise came from Backrooms, which opened to around 81 million dollars domestically. It delivered one of the biggest horror openings in recent years and became a record-setting release for A24, surpassing all of the studio’s previous opening weekend results.
Disney still had a presence during the month, but not in the same dominant way as Marvel films in earlier years. The Devil Wears Prada 2 earned about 209 million dollars domestically in May, while The Mandalorian and Grogu brought in around 137 million dollars. However, the latter film also experienced a sharp drop in its second weekend, which limited its overall impact.
Industry tracking shows that the biggest factor behind the billion dollar month was the combined strength of several mid-to-large hits rather than one massive franchise film. Analysts quoted in The Wrap coverage noted that this shift shows audiences are now more open to a wider range of films, including original stories and horror releases.
The final ranking for May placed Michael at number one, followed closely by The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Obsession, and Backrooms. Together, these films pushed the month past the 1 billion dollar mark.
Overall, May 2026 is now recorded as one of the strongest box office months in recent years, and the first ever to reach this level without a Marvel film driving the results.
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