Captain Marvel is the latest blockbuster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but how much did it cost to make? The final piece of the puzzle before Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters later this year, Captain Marvel serves as the introduction to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. The character is poised to play an integral role in the franchise moving forward, potentially establishing a new core of main heroes alongside the likes of Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. Captain Marvel was briefly teased in Infinity War’s post-credits scene, and now viewers have a chance to get acclimated with her before she helps turn the tide against Thanos.

Marvel’s taking viewers back in time with this movie, setting Captain Marvel in the 1990s. This means there’ll be plenty of opportunities for nostalgic references, but the creative choice also made things a little harder on the visual effects team. Actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg needed to be digitally de-aged for all of their scenes, which is an extensive process that can add dollars to the budget (see: Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman). Luckily, it doesn’t seem to have had too much of an impact on Captain Marvel, which is actually one of the most cost-effective Marvel films in recent memory.

Captain Marvel’s budget is around $152 million. That’s in the general ballpark of Ant-Man and the Wasp ($162 million) and Doctor Strange ($165 million), and the lowest reported MCU budget since the original Ant-Man ($130 million).

This number shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The MCU’s solo movies usually have much smaller budgets than their team-up/crossover films, in part because Marvel doesn’t expect them to gross as much at the box office. They can confidently make Infinity War the second-most expensive film ever made because it’s a virtual lock to hit more than $1 billion worldwide. A new character’s first appearance isn’t that sure of a bet. It goes without saying Captain Marvel is going to be a sizable box office hit, but it doesn’t need to break the bank in order to be considered a success. The break even point is approximately $304 million worldwide, a figure Captain Marvel might pass in its opening weekend.

With such a manageable budget, Captain Marvel should turn a very healthy profit for the studio. It’s coming out at the perfect time, as there’s minimal box office competition and several of the holdovers have underwhelmed during their runs. Additionally, it’s another Certified Fresh installment in the MCU, with critics enjoying its action and humor. Riding waves of positive buzz and excitement, there’s little reason to believe Captain Marvel won’t be able to do well and make back its budget in no time at all.

More: Read Screen Rant’s Captain Marvel Review

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