Since 2008’s ‘Iron Man’, the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of ‘The Marvels’, which opened with just $47 million, according to studio estimates.

The 33rd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a sequel to the 2019 Brie Larson-led ‘Captain Marvel’, managed less than a third of the $153.4 million its predecessor launched with before ultimately taking in $1.13 billion worldwide, an AP report from New York stated earlier this week.

Sequels, especially in Marvel Land, aren’t supposed to fall off a cliff. Yet ‘The Marvels’ debuted with more than $100 million less than ‘Captain Marvel’ opened with — something no sequel before has ever done.

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Research Entertainment, called it “an unprecedented Marvel box-office collapse.”

The previous low for a Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel movie was ‘Ant-Man’, which bowed with $57.2 million in 2015. Otherwise, you have to go outside the Disney MCU to find such a slow start for a Marvel movie — releases like Universal’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’ with $55.4 million in 2008, Sony’s ‘Morbius’ with $39 million in 2022 or 20th Century Fox’s ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot with $25.6 million in 2015.

But ‘The Marvels’ was a $200 million-plus sequel to a billion-dollar blockbuster. It was also an exceptional Marvel release in numerous ways. The film, directed by Nia DaCosta, was the first MCU release directed by a Black woman. It was also the rare Marvel movie led by three women — Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani.

‘The Marvels’, which added $63.3 million in overseas ticket sales, may go down as a turning point in the MCU. Over the years, the franchise has collected $33 billion globally — a point Disney noted in reporting its grosses on Sunday.

But with movie screens and streaming platforms increasingly crowded with superhero films and series, some analysts have detected a new fatigue setting in for audiences. Disney chief executive Bob Iger himself has spoken about possible oversaturation for Marvel.

Either way, something is shifting for superheroes. The box-office crown this year appears assured to go to ‘Barbie’, the year’s biggest smash, with more than $1.4 billion worldwide for Warner Bros.