“Thunderbolts” got the summer movie season off to a solid start, igniting to $76 million in its domestic debut.
That’s on the softer side for Marvel adventures, which regularly generate at least $100 million to start. However, “Thunderbolts” centers on lesser-known heroes — at least compared to Deadpool, Wolverine and Thor. These ticket sales are closer in line with “Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings” ($75 million) and “Eternals” ($71 million) which also introduced newer Marvel protagonists. Analysts believe “Thunderbolts” will get an important lift in the coming weeks from critics and audiences, who embraced the film with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and encouraging “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. It appears to be a step in the right direction after a string of poorly reviewed films such as “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels.”
“This is a very good opening for a new superhero story,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “It’s not in the upper echelon of all superhero launches, but it’s above average for the genre. And in this case, average is a big number.”
Globally, “Thunderbolts” finished the weekend with $162.1 million, including $86.1 million from international markets. Directed by Jake Schreier, “Thunderbolts” features a motley crew of antiheroes — Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker and David Harbour’s Red Guardian, among them — who are forced to work together on a deadly mission.
“Thunderbolts” cost $180 million to produce and roughly $100 million to market, though critical sentiment and word-of-mouth should help the tentpole stick around on the big screen (and justify its hefty price tag). Disney hopes “Thunderbolts” represents a return to form for all things superhero. The studio has succeeded with familiar properties like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” but the comic book empire has failed to launch tentpoles based on new characters in some time. More recent entries, like “The Marvels” and “Eternals” fizzled at the box office. Later in the summer, Marvel will unveil “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” on July 25 while Warner Bros. and DC will debut “Superman” on July 11.
In second place, “Sinners” took another big bite with $33 million in its third weekend of release, down just 28% from its prior outing. The R-rated vampire thriller, from director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, continues to have unprecedented holds at the domestic box office, thanks to stellar audience reception. The film has grossed $181 million domestically and $57 million overseas for a grand total of $236 million worldwide to date.
“Thunderbolts” officially ushers the summer movie season, which runs from May through August and kicks off the most profitable stretch for the theater business. Memorial Day should provide another jolt (and maybe fuel a record) with Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.”
“May is shaping up to be one of the best on record,” says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “More importantly, this summer’s movie season, coming in the wake of the pandemic and strikes, will generate both massive buzz and impressive box office.”
After this weekend, overall domestic revenues are 15.8% ahead of 2024, though still about 31% behind 2019, according to Comscore. “Thunderbolts” was the weekend’s only new nationwide release, so holdover titles rounded out North American charts.
“A Minecraft Movie” landed at No. 3 with $13.5 million in its fifth weekend on the big screen. So far, the Warner Bros. video game adaptation has generated a massive $398 million in North America and $873 million globally.
Ben Affleck’s action thriller “The Accountant 2” dropped to fourth place with $9.45 million in its sophomore outing, a steep 61% hit from its debut. The movie, from Amazon MGM, has grossed $41 million domestically. The R-rated sequel carries a steep $80 million price tag, and since studios and theater owners split ticket sales, “The Accountant 2” may struggle to get out of the red in its theatrical run.
Sony’s R-rated horror film “Until Dawn” remained in the No. 5 spot with $3.8 million from 3,055 venues, down 53% from its opening weekend. The ultra-gory survival thriller, which cost $15 million, has amassed $14.3 million in North America and $34.7 million globally.