Summary
After recent failures at the box office (exceptDeadpool and Wolverine),Marvel seems to have struck gold with its latest offering, Thunderbolts*.The good word of mouth is prompting the audience to watch the superhero flick in large numbers, and defying expectations to earn a staggering amount of money during its opening weekend.
The ongoing Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is coming to a conclusion withThunderbolts*and chronicles the journey of anti-heroes getting together to fight a villain named Sentry. The movie received an overwhelming response after its premiere and made fans believe that Marvel is back on track to tell hard-hitting stories. Along with earning positive reviews from critics, the movie is also proving to be a huge box office success, with opening weekend numbers that could surpass those of two Marvel films.
Thunderbolts* eyeing to beat two Marvel movies with staggering opening numbers
According to a report inDeadline, Marvel’s latest entry,Thunderbolts*,is eyeing a global haul of $175 million+ in the film’s opening weekend. As per the report, the movie is on track to earn somewhere between $70M-$75M domestically, and garner close to $100M in international markets. Moreover, the ticket pre-sales for the aforementioned film in the U.S. and Canada have already crossed $12 million, which is pretty similar to the numbers ofEternals.If theThunderbolts*successfully manage to gross the figures mentioned above, it would leave behind two Marvel movies,Shang-ChiandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1,in the list of biggest opening weekend earners in MCU history.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsearned $139.7 million in its opening weekend.
On the other hand, the first movie in theGOTGfranchise made more than $161 million in the first three days of its release globally. Conversely, the domestic opening figures ofThunderbolts*seem to be better thanThor, Ant-Man,andEternals.
Thunderbolts*sees a group of anti-heroeswho find themselves in a death trap and must embark on a journey to accomplish a dangerous mission. As they navigate a perilous path filled with betrayal, violence, and moral ambiguity, each member is forced to reckon with their haunting pasts and personal demons, testing their loyalty, resilience, and the true meaning of redemption. The film stars Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/U.S. Agent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost) and Lewis Pullman (Sentry) in pivotal roles.
The $175 million+ opening weekend forThunderboltsis a big win for Marvel for several reasons. After a string of underwhelming box office results and mixed critical reception (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,The Marvels), such a strong performance signals that fans are once again excited about Marvel stories. Additionally, the movie primarily focuses on morally gray characters rather than traditional heroes, showcasing that audiences are ready to experience new stories and fresh character perspectives. Fans have been requesting Marvel to elevate the storytelling aspect of their big-screen projects, and it seems they have finally achieved it withThunderbolts.Moreover, the final chapter of Phase 5, a major hit, helps end the phase on a high note and builds strong anticipation for Phase 6 and upcoming titles likeAvengers: DoomsdayandFantastic 4.
