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

Thunderbolts* has demonstrated a robust second weekend at the box office for an MCU film, accumulating a global total of $272.2 million. The Florence Pugh-led action movie added $33.1 million in domestic earnings and $34 million from international markets, securing its position at the top of the box office charts for the second consecutive week. This represents a -44% drop from its opening weekend, outperforming other MCU entries like 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 extended the on-screen rivalry between Sam Wilson's Avengers and this new team into the real world, aiming to sustain interest in Thunderbolts* as they approach 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 maintain its global appeal and box office performance.

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* debuted with a $76 million opening, 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 optimistic that positive word-of-mouth will 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 exception of the billion-dollar success of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

View 18 Images

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.