Back when Thunderbolts* opened in May to kick off the summer movie season, its stellar reviews and $74 million opening weekend were touted as a win, as it rightfully should’ve been. The MCU needed a win following some misfires, save Deadpool & Wolverine, which either received mixed reviews on a critical level or underperformed at the box office. As the Thunderbolts* headed into its second weekend, they were being dubbed The New Avengers, and it felt like the celebration would never end. However, in the weeks after its opening, it was clear that, despite the warm reception, Thunderbolts* didn’t have the legs of the better MCU films, and now it’s becoming a bit clearer what Marvel has lost on the project. Per Variety, Marvel Studios has reportedly lost millions of dollars on Thunderbolts* due to a box office run that is pretty much coming to a close with a worldwide total of $371 million. Reports indicate that the film, due to its $180 million production budget and $100 million marketing spend, needed to make about $425 million to break even. As it stands, Thunderbolts* is one of the lowest-grossing MCU titles to date on a global scale. As Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Block put it, “These lower-tier comic book movies aren’t cinematic slam dunks anymore. Thunderbolts* wrapping up after just a month in theaters, is also a concern. These films aren’t legging out like previous iterations.”
Why Did ‘Thunderbolts*’ Underperform?

A lot can be said about why Thunderbolts* underachieved at the box office. Some believe it’s because it involves lesser-known characters, but that didn’t prevent the first Guardians of the Galaxy from turning into a huge financial hit. The main culprit here could be placed on quality, but not on the quality of Thunderbolts*, which is a stellar MCU effort and some of their best output recently. The film followed Captain America: Brave New World, which currently sits with a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though that film pulled in $415.1 million, it fell short of breaking even theatrically (reportedly needing a similar global take of $425 million to do so), and the fan response was more mixed. There may have been some apprehension to fully embrace Thunderbolts*, even though reviews and word of mouth were quite good.

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The bigger argument here is that Thunderbolts* did what it needed to do ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It showcased that the MCU could still put out good films and that fans shouldn’t be worried about Marvel’s First Family not living up to expectations. It would’ve been nice for Thunderbolts* to have been a $500 million+ box office hit, but perhaps its role was to be more of a critical winner rather than a bona fide box office hit. Given the fact that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is already seeing strong pre-sales and solid tracking drives home the fact that the good reception of Thunderbolts* may have helped by providing some goodwill. The journey of the film isn’t over yet. There is still money to be made from Thunderbolts* streaming on Disney+, home entertainment markets and physical media. The movie will likely make SOME money for Marvel Studios down the line. That said, it’s a little disappointing that these Marvel misfits weren’t embraced more by the moviegoing audience because it truly is one of the best films the MCU has put out, recently or otherwise. Source: Variety

Thunderbolts*

3
/5

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

127 minutes

Director

Jake Schreier

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo