Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* may not have blasted off with the explosive numbers of an Avengers: Endgame, but its $76 million domestic opening speaks volumes about where the Marvel Cinematic Universe stands—and where it could be headed. Leading the U.S. box office this weekend, the film about a ragtag team of antiheroes and reformed villains gave Marvel a much-needed win as the summer movie season kicked into gear.
Thunderbolts* Thursday Previews Showed Early Strength Despite Comparisons
Thursday night preview screenings pulled in $11.5 million domestically, slightly above early projections but still trailing behind recent MCU entries like Captain America: Brave New World ($12 million) and well behind Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($17.5 million). While these numbers might not dazzle on first glance, they tell a different story when placed in context.
Thunderbolts* outperformed the preview numbers of Shang-Chi and Eternals, two films that, like this one, aimed to expand the MCU in new directions. More importantly, the positive word of mouth surrounding Thunderbolts*—which boasts an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest for an MCU film since Spider-Man: No Way Home—could give it the staying power that Brave New World sorely lacked.
Strong Reviews Could Help Thunderbolts* Build Momentum Over Time
One of the most fascinating shifts in Marvel’s box office ecosystem is that audience behavior is evolving. Theaters aren’t packed on opening night just because a film has a Marvel logo. Fans are more selective, and with the ups and downs of the Multiverse Saga, many have been waiting to see if a film is genuinely worth the hype. Thunderbolts* appears to have earned that trust.
Unlike many recent MCU releases that underwhelmed both critics and fans, Thunderbolts* has been embraced. Audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore, and the film’s mix of moral grayness, character-driven storytelling, and cinematic flair has resonated. This isn’t just another team-up; it’s a reinvention of what Marvel heroes—or antiheroes—can look like on screen.
Marvel’s Summer Shadow Boxing: Competing with Sinners, Not Steel Giants
While Marvel once dominated the box office with little competition, Thunderbolts* found itself battling for attention against Warner Bros.' R-rated vampire hit Sinners, which still clung to the second spot with $33 million in its third week. Sinners is a different beast—much like how Minecraft continues to rake in family-audience dollars—but it’s proof that the box office ecosystem is diversifying.
Importantly, Thunderbolts* isn’t facing head-to-head competition from another blockbuster in the next few weeks. That runway could be crucial. With only the likes of Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on the horizon for Memorial Day, Marvel has a chance to let Thunderbolts* gain traction the old-fashioned way: through audience recommendations and repeat viewings.
Thunderbolts* Is More Than a Mediocre Opening—It’s a Potential Box Office Dark Horse
Sure, $76 million isn’t the $100 million-plus haul that Marvel fans have come to expect, but that expectation is a double-edged sword. As Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian noted, Marvel set the bar so high for so long that a solid performance now can look like a letdown. In reality, Thunderbolts* may be providing the studio with a much-needed “reset.”
With a production budget around $180 million and a global opening of $162 million (including $86 million overseas), Thunderbolts* isn’t just breaking even—it’s laying the groundwork for a more sustainable MCU model. One that doesn’t rely on multiverse chaos or world-ending stakes, but on character, tone, and clever storytelling. The fact that it teases The Fantastic Four: First Steps only adds to its strategic importance.
Marvel’s Investment in Thunderbolts* May Pay Off in the Long Run
Marvel has poured a lot into Thunderbolts*—not just in budget, but in narrative significance. This isn’t a side project; it’s a cornerstone for the post-Multiverse Saga era. And while the opening weekend numbers may not shatter records, the critical acclaim and fan enthusiasm suggest we’re looking at one of Marvel’s stealth successes.
Box office expert Shawn Robbins hit the nail on the head when he said, “In any franchise, the next film performs as well as the previous film was treated by audiences.” If Thunderbolts* is well-received, and if audiences stick with it through the summer, Marvel may very well reclaim its box office crown—not with bombast, but with brilliance.
For now, Thunderbolts* isn’t just surviving in the crowded superhero landscape—it’s standing tall. And that, for a team of cinematic misfits, is a victory worth celebrating.