Thunderbolts* Projected for Soft Box Office Opening (But It’s Not All Bad)

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Although Thunderbolts* has received positive feedback, its opening weekend predictions haven’t shown significant growth. However, there are reasons to remain hopeful about the Marvel film’s potential box office success in the long term. As reported by Deadline, Thunderbolts* is projected to earn around $73-77 million domestically during its first three days, which, by Marvel standards, represents a softer start compared to films like Captain America: Brave New World and the pandemic-era premiere of Black Widow. Even at the high end of these projections, it falls below the three-day earnings of both these movies. The lower end of the estimates trails behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and is only marginally better than Eternals.

Despite initial concerns, it appears that Thunderbolts* may not follow in the footsteps of another box office disappointment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Word-of-mouth for the film has been more positive than Captain America: Brave New World from February. Thunderbolts* received an A- grade from audiences (in comparison to a B- for Brave New World), suggesting it could have a longer run at the box office. Furthermore, its Rotten Tomatoes score is quite impressive.

As the release of Thunderbolts* approached, it wasn’t expected to break box office records. Predictions made in April estimated its earnings would fall within $63-$77 million, with $70 million being the goal. Other recent films surpassed their projections at the box office (A Minecraft Movie, Sinners), but Thunderbolts* earned roughly what was anticipated.

With “Thunderbolts” marking the start of summer blockbusters, Marvel is heavily invested in this movie. Not only does it play a crucial role in the lead-up to next year’s “Avengers: Doomsday”, but the studio is also eager to recover from the reception and box office performance of “Captain America: Brave New World”. This film garnered mixed reviews and ended up among the lowest-grossing movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Initially, Marvel and Disney may have anticipated a more robust debut for the film Thunderbolts*, but the true evaluation will unfold over the following fortnight. The movie Brave New World has been deemed a letdown as its box office earnings significantly dropped after its second weekend, largely due to the film’s reception. However, Thunderbolts* appears poised for success because it has garnered positive reviews. Those who didn’t initially rush to see it might be persuaded to catch up with it later in the month given the favorable feedback. Additionally, Thunderbolts* encounters minimal competition during the upcoming weeks; it enjoys a clear pathway until the simultaneous releases of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Lilo & Stitch, which could potentially set new Memorial Day records.

It’s intriguing to observe how well the film “Thunderbolts*” performs in its second week. If it manages to maintain its audience base, similar to “Brave New World‘s” surprising resilience (a 68.3% drop was minimal), then it’s likely to be a moderate success. However, if for some reason the buzz around the movie doesn’t have a positive influence and “Thunderbolts*” experiences a significant decline, this could lead to some tough questions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future as we approach “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Secret Wars“. Ideally, “Thunderbolts*” will serve as the comeback Marvel needs and swiftly generate profits.

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2025-05-03 21:09