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Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” Launches Summer Movie Season With $76M Domestic Debut
Start your engines, Marvel fans — the summer movie season is officially in full swing, and it’s being led by an unlikely team of antiheroes. THUNDERBOLTS*, the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, just cruised to a $76 million domestic debut, giving Disney a solid (if not spectacular) start to the blockbuster-packed months ahead.
Related: AMC Theaters in Disney Springs Decorated for Marvel’s Thunderbolts
While that number doesn’t exactly smash records in Marvel fashion, it’s still a promising showing for a film spotlighting some of the MCU’s lesser-known names. With characters like Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) front and center, Thunderbolts* falls more in line with other “newcomer” MCU launches like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($75M) and Eternals ($71M).
Critics and fans alike seem to be rallying behind the squad, with the film currently sitting at a strong 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning an “A-” CinemaScore — a great sign for staying power. Word of mouth could prove crucial as Thunderbolts* battles for box office dominance in the weeks ahead.
A Win for Marvel’s “Middle Class”
According to industry analysts, this isn’t the type of superhero debut that grabs headlines like Endgame or Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it’s a healthy win for a franchise looking to regain momentum. Following a string of box office duds (The Marvels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Captain America: Brave New World), THUNDERBOLTS* is showing that the MCU can still take risks — and have them pay off.
“This is a very good opening for a new superhero story,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “It’s above average for the genre, and in this case, average is a big number.”
With a production budget of $180 million and another $100 million in marketing, THUNDERBOLTS* will need to keep that momentum going. Thankfully, global ticket sales are already zooming forward — the film brought in $162.1 million worldwide in its opening weekend, including $86.1 million internationally.
Related: Red Guardian from Marvel’s Thunderbolts Coming to Avengers Campus
The Big Picture: A Promising Start for Summer
THUNDERBOLTS* has officially kicked off what’s expected to be a booming summer box office, following years of pandemic and strike-related disruptions. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore called this “one of the best Mays on record,” and with films like Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on deck for Memorial Day, there’s potential for fireworks both on-screen and in ticket sales.
Other films holding strong include:
- “Sinners” (directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan): $33 million in its third weekend, with $236 million global total so far
- “A Minecraft Movie”: $13.5 million in its fifth weekend, totaling a staggering $873 million globally
- “The Accountant 2”: Down 61% with $9.45 million, struggling to break even
- “Until Dawn”: $3.8 million in its second weekend, showing moderate success on a modest budget
Despite overall box office numbers still trailing 2019 by 31%, they’re now up 15.8% over 2024 — a welcome sign that audiences are finally returning to theaters in large numbers.
