Thunderbolts* Box Office Sets Summer Low Despite Strong Reviews and $76M Opening

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Summary

  • Thunderbolts* opened with $76 million domestically, meeting industry projections.
  • Despite being the highest among mid-tier MCU films, it’s the lowest summer kickoff ever for the franchise.
  • The global tally is at $162.1 million, with China as the largest foreign market, but opening weekend figures can’t match Suicide Squad.

The final numbers have been tallied, and it’s no shock that Thunderbolts* had a predictable start. Yet, when considering the bigger picture of box office performance, the flavor of these initial earnings could aptly be labeled as “a mix of sweet and bitter.

On May 2nd, the action-packed film titled “Thunderbolts*” stormed into cinemas, boasting a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (one of the highest ratings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and an A- grade from CinemaScore. Before its release, expectations were high as the tale revolving around a group of antiheroes – Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, and Lewis Pullman’s Sentry – was projected to earn between $70-75 million domestically. Preview numbers on the opening Thursday hinted at an even larger opening figure.

Thunderbolts* Opened With $76 Million Domestically At The Box Office

It’s Noble, But Still An All-Time Low Among MCU Summer Flicks

As reported by Variety, Thunderbolts managed to closely match industry experts’ predictions, taking the top spot on the North American box office charts with a total of $76 million, including $11.5 million from Thursday previews. This left Sinners trailing behind with only $33 million. This opening is comparable to Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings ($75 million) and Eternals ($71 million), which feature mid-tier Marvel characters. Nevertheless, it marks the lowest summer debut for any MCU film; Iron Man earned $98 million during the same period 17 years ago.

The worldwide earnings of Thunderbolts* currently stand at $162.1 million, with approximately $86.1 million coming from foreign markets. Predictably, China has emerged as the film’s biggest overseas market, contributing over $10.4 million – including previews – followed by the United Kingdom ($7.7 million) and Mexico ($7.3 million). However, it’s worth noting a slight setback: according to analyst Luiz Fernando on X, Thunderbolts*’ three-day Chinese opening generated only $5.6 million, making it less successful than Studio Ghibli’s re-release of Princess Mononoke ($6 million) and marking the lowest ever opening for a comic book movie in China.

It’s important to resist the temptation to compare the opening weekend earnings of Thunderbolts* with those of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which earned $133 million globally nine years ago, even without a Chinese release. The reason for this success was largely due to the ensemble cast, whose star power rivaled that of the Avengers, featuring characters like the Joker & Harley Quinn and actors such as Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and Viola Davis. In contrast, Thunderbolts* only boasts main characters like Sentry and The Winter Soldier, with U.S. Agent being a stretch if you’re feeling generous.

It’s clear that the world of box office collections prefers long-term success over short bursts, and word-of-mouth recommendations often trump fanbase and celebrity influence. Disney spent a combined $280 million on the production and promotion of Thunderbolts, a sum that skeptics might use to question its profitability. However, many analysts believe that the film will not be a financial failure. Compared to projects like Captain America: Brave New World or The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Disney’s expectations for Florence Pugh and her team are more modest.

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2025-05-04 23:25