With all the hype surrounding CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, and a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, all expectations for the latest Marvel blockbuster were very high.

Many movie-goers were punch drunk from the brutal reviews and controversy that surrounded BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. There was excitement growing to attend a 'fun' Marvel movie once again, after the dark WB offering left people feeling as though they had the life sucked out of them.

Apparently the hype and anticipation wasn't enough to drive domestic audiences to the theater for Thursday previews.

Back in March, THR reported that BATMAN V SUPERMAN raked in an astounding $27.7 million regardless of the negativity surrounding the movie. Many viewed this as a disappointment and a sign of iminent failure on the part of Zack Snyder. Calls for him to be pulled off the franchise could be heard all over social media.

Defenders of the movie remained confident that the box office take was a positive sign, as it was the seventh best preview night in history.

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Now, comicbook.com is reporting that CIVIL WAR fell short of beating the rival DAWN OF JUSTICE by $2.7 million. With a preview night of $25 million being reported, it even fell short of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON's $27.6 million. But hey, Spider-Man right?

The one thing CIVIL WAR has going for it is positive reviews and a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's something BATMAN V SUPERMAN didn't have the luxury of, yet it was able to overcome the negativity.

So what does this mean for the future outlook of CA:CW? While it's still too early to tell, it's hard to imagine the movie won't bring in it's fair share of box office treasure. With projections, one can surmise that the billion dollar mark is likely unachievable and perhaps even Batman v Superman's numbers may be unnattainable. Unless the movie picks up steam during it's run and doesn't have the typical second week drop-off.

If only fans could appreciate both properties for what they are, then perhaps box office numbers wouldn't be such a point of contention. Unfortunately, that's not how it works these days as people remain split on how superhero movies should be made.

United we stand, divided we fall indeed.