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

Thunderbolts* has continued its impressive run at the box office, securing a strong second weekend with a global total now reaching $272.2 million. Led by Florence Pugh, the action-packed film added $33.1 million domestically and $34 million internationally, maintaining its position at the top of the charts for another week. This represents a -44% drop from its opening weekend, outperforming other MCU films 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 U.S. and $143.7 million from international markets.

Last week, Marvel intensified its marketing efforts for Thunderbolts*, even renaming the movie to New Avengers. The studio cleverly integrated the film's narrative into real-world marketing by highlighting the on-screen rivalry between Sam Wilson’s Avengers and the new superhero team. This move aims to sustain interest in Thunderbolts* as Marvel gears up for the critical launch of Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.

According to Variety, Disney invested $180 million in producing Thunderbolts* and an additional $100 million in its marketing campaign. For the film to be profitable in theaters, it must maintain its global box office performance.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised Thunderbolts*, calling it “the first and best example” of Marvel’s renewed focus on quality over quantity.

Did you like the Thunderbolts movie? ------------------------------------

Yeah! Nope.Meh.I haven't watched it yet.

AnswerSee ResultsThunderbolts* kicked off with a $76 million opening, which was considered solid though not spectacular. This debut outperformed Eternals ($71 million) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75 million), both of which were deemed flops, but fell short of most other MCU films' opening weekends.

However, Thunderbolts is resonating well with both audiences and critics. IGN’s review gave 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 hopes that the positive buzz around Thunderbolts* will lead to a more sustained theatrical run compared to Captain America: Brave New World, which saw a significant drop-off. Recent years have been challenging for Marvel, with the exception of hits like the billion-dollar Deadpool & Wolverine.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

View 18 ImagesLooking ahead, 2026 promises exciting releases with 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 globally, and A Minecraft Movie has amassed $909.6 million after six weekends.