The Rise of Non-Superhero Films: How “The Devil Wears Prada 2” Is Changing Hollywood
Seemingly nothing can slow down Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has dominated the box office since opening several weeks ago, already out-grossing its predecessor and on track to potentially become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2026. Its success has also highlighted a broader trend: superhero movies are no longer the unchallenged kings of the box office.
Director David Frankel’s fashion-forward sequel has earned $546 million globally so far, including $370 million internationally, against a reported $100 million budget. With momentum still building, it’s likely to surpass $600 million soon. The film’s success has even sparked speculation about the franchise continuing beyond this sequel, should Disney and the cast choose to pursue it.
In comparison, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has already out-earned every 2025 Marvel Studios release, including The Fantastic Four: First Steps ($522 million), Thunderbolts ($382 million), and Captain America: Brave New World ($415 million). The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s struggles at the box office are part of a broader pattern: audiences are increasingly gravitating toward non-superhero films.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, very few new superhero franchises have successfully launched. Marvel’s plans for Eternals were derailed after the 2021 release disappointed with $402 million globally, and sequels like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 have yet to materialize. 2025’s highest-grossing superhero movie was DC Studios’ Superman ($618 million), which, while successful, still earned less than Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel ($668 million) in 2013.
Gone are the days when a film like Venom could effortlessly cross $800 million worldwide. While 2019’s Joker hit over $1 billion, its 2024 sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, flopped at $207 million. Other recent releases, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, also underperformed, as did 2022’s Black Adam, failing to launch a new DC franchise.
Superhero dominance was still strong in 2022 with marquee releases like Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.9 billion), The Batman ($772 million), and Marvel hits Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($955 million) and Thor: Love and Thunder ($760 million). But these successes were largely tied to established characters and preexisting fan bases.
By 2023, cracks were visible. The Marvels became the lowest-grossing MCU film at $206 million, while Sony’s Spider-Man spin-offs like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter underperformed. Morbius from 2022 similarly failed to meet expectations, prompting Sony to reboot its spin-off universe entirely. The era when superhero films could reliably account for 30% of the year’s total box office is clearly over.
The good news for Hollywood is that audiences are not uninterested in new stories—they’re just looking beyond superheroes. Gen Z cinephiles, for example, have shown strong enthusiasm for films like Five Nights at Freddy’s or A Minecraft Movie, which are more closely aligned with their interests. Women, often underserved by Hollywood, have flocked to titles like The Devil Wears Prada 2, Barbie, and It Ends With Us. Meanwhile, Project Hail Mary has emerged as one of 2026’s biggest hits, earning $668 million globally and defying the franchise-obsessed model that has dominated Hollywood for decades.
In short, the box office landscape is shifting. Big-name superheroes may no longer guarantee record-breaking success, but compelling stories with fresh perspectives, diverse audiences, and untapped demographics are proving that Hollywood’s future is wide open—and far from predictable.
