The Mike Horner ArchivesX-Men can't save everything -- including their own movies.

Dark Phoenix,one of the most beloved storylines in the X-Men comic books, nonetheless debuted to a record low for the franchise this weekend. The film grossed just around $33 million at the domestic box office, compared to the 2016 opening of Deadpool, a spinoff, which grossed over $125 million opening weekend. Even The Wolverinedebuted to $53 million in 2013.

The differences couldn't be more stark.

The film, which is the twelfth in the X-Men series, currently has earned a meager 22 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling the series "middling,""clichéd," and "unsatisfying."

Some reports blame the marketing for Dark Phoenix's poor performance. Before opening, director Simon Kinberg revealed that Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, would die in the film.

And it wasn't like there was much competition this weekend for moviegoers. The Secret Life of Pets 2opened to just $46 million this weekend.

International box office numbers have yet to be released. Still, Fox-Disney, who produced the film, should be a little bit anxious. The movie cost nearly $200 million to film.