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

"Thunderbolts*" continues to impress at the box office, securing a robust second weekend with a global total now reaching $272.2 million. The Florence Pugh-led action film added $33.1 million domestically and $34 million internationally, retaining its top spot for another week. With a -44% drop from its opening weekend, "Thunderbolts*" outperforms 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%). The film has so far earned an estimated $128.5 million in the U.S. and $143.7 million abroad.

Marvel's marketing for "Thunderbolts*" escalated last week, notably renaming the movie to "New Avengers." The studio cleverly integrated the on-screen rivalry between Sam Wilson's Avengers and this new team into real-world promotions. Marvel's strategy aims to sustain interest in "Thunderbolts*" as they approach the pivotal launch of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in July, marking the beginning of Phase 6.

According to Variety, Disney invested $180 million in production and an additional $100 million in marketing for "Thunderbolts*." To achieve profitability, the film must maintain its global appeal. Disney CEO Bob Iger recently praised "Thunderbolts*," citing it as "the first and best example" of Marvel's renewed focus on quality over quantity.

"Thunderbolts*" debuted with a $76 million opening in the U.S., a solid if not spectacular start. This figure surpassed "Eternals" ($71 million) and "Ant-Man and the Wasp" ($75 million), both labeled as flops, but fell short of most other MCU films' opening weekends.

The film is receiving positive feedback from both audiences and critics. IGN's Thunderbolts* review awarded it a 7/10, noting, "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 this positive buzz will help "Thunderbolts*" outlast "Captain America: Brave New World," which saw a sharp decline. Amidst recent challenges for Marvel, successes like the billion-dollar "Deadpool & Wolverine" provide some relief.

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Looking ahead, 2026 will see the release of "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" is up to $909.6 million after six weekends.