Thunderbolts* Approaches $280M Box Office Amid New Avengers Marketing

Thunderbolts* has demonstrated a robust performance at the box office, securing a strong second weekend hold for an MCU film and accumulating a global total of $272.2 million. The action-packed movie, led by Florence Pugh, added $33.1 million domestically and $34 million internationally, maintaining its position at the top of the box office charts for another week. This represents a -44% drop from its opening weekend, outperforming the declines seen with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (-52%), Captain America: Brave New World (-54%), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (-54%). To date, Thunderbolts* has earned an estimated $128.5 million in the domestic market and $143.7 million internationally.

Last week, Marvel intensified its marketing efforts for Thunderbolts*, even going so far as to rename the film to New Avengers. The studio cleverly integrated the on-screen rivalry between Sam Wilson's Avengers and the new superhero team into real-world promotions. Marvel is clearly aiming to sustain interest in Thunderbolts* as it gears up for the pivotal launch of Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.

According to Variety, Disney invested $180 million in the production of Thunderbolts* and an additional $100 million in marketing. For the film to be profitable in theaters, it must continue to perform well globally.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts*, describing it as "the first and best example" of Marvel's renewed focus on quality over quantity.

Thunderbolts* kicked off with a $76 million opening weekend, which was considered solid but not spectacular. This figure surpassed the openings of Eternals ($71 million) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75 million), both of which were deemed flops, yet it fell short of most other MCU movie openings.

The film has been well-received by both audiences and critics. IGN's review of Thunderbolts* awarded it a 7/10, stating, "Thunderbolts* has, like its sort-of-not-really antagonist, both a dark half and a light half. But only one of them is actually pretty great (hint: it’s the one that involves plumbing the depths of the characters’ worst memories)."

Disney is banking on positive word-of-mouth to propel Thunderbolts* to a more successful theatrical run than Captain America: Brave New World, which experienced a significant drop-off. Recent years have been challenging for Marvel movies, with the notable exception of the billion-dollar success of Deadpool & Wolverine.

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Looking ahead, 2026 will see the release of both Avengers: Doomsday on May 1 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.

Meanwhile, Sinners has reached $283.3 million at the global box office, and A Minecraft Movie has grossed $909.6 million after six weekends.