After a rather promising start to its theatrical run a few weeks ago, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* seems to have slowed down. This weekend, it was hit by the one-two punch of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which grossed a combined total of over $250 million at the domestic box office. Meanwhile, Thunderbolts* slipped to the number four spot, as it finds itself in the same position as fellow Marvel release Captain America: Brave New World a few weeks ago.
That film struggled to pass the $200 million mark domestically and the $400 million mark worldwide, against a reported production budget of $180 million. Thunderbolts* is said to have a cost a similar figure, and is now sitting at around $170 million domestically and $180 million from overseas markets. It has now overtaken fellow Marvel team-up movie Eternals domestically. The film’s cumulative global haul now stands at $353 million, which puts it within touching distance of Captain America: The First Avenger’s $370 million lifetime haul. But that movie was released nearly 15 years ago, back when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was merely an (ambitious) experiment. It has since established itself as the highest-grossing film franchise in history, having dominated Hollywood for the better part of a decade.
Thunderbolts* is still among the series’ lowest-grossing movies, and it’ll likely remain in this zone even when the dust settles. It has yet to surpass Black Widow’s lifetime global haul, even though that film was released during the pandemic, and had to contend with a day-and-date debut on the Disney+ streaming service for a premium access fee. In many ways, Thunderbolts* serves as a follow-up to that movie; it brings back Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, and also features David Harbour’s Red Guardian. Also among its ensemble cast of characters is the fan-favorite Bucky Barnes, played by recent Oscar nominee Sebastian Stan.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Is Among the Best-Reviewed Films of the MCU

Directed by Jake Schreier, the film’s biggest achievement is scoring positive reactions from both critics and audiences; the sort of reactions that have seemed to elude the MCU in recent years. During this time, the franchise has seen the underperformance of titles such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels, both of which reportedly cost over $250 million each to produce. Thunderbolts* appears to have settled at a “certified fresh” 88% Rotten Tomatoes score, and an even better 93% audience score.
You can still watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Thunderbolts*

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

127 minutes

Director

Jake Schreier

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo