Thunderbolts* may have done well with movie critics, but it’s still not enough to win the battle where it counts most – the box office. The movie’s asterisk was eventually revealed to be its new title, The New Avengers, which was shown in the end credits. The cast includes new additions and established characters in the MCU. The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, Geraldine Viswanathan, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman and Wendell Pierce.
Thunderbolts* Set To Lose Massive Amount
Disney CEO Bob Iger confidently said that the film was the “first and best” example of Marvel’s new strategy with film. Iger was feeling celebratory from the movie’s positive reception with the audience and film critics. Thunderbolts* scored an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. One critic noted, “Thunderbolts* doesn’t try to recreate Marvel’s golden era—it moves beyond it. With a tighter lens, deeper emotion, and a cast of flawed, fascinating characters, it marks a turning point: not a return to form, but the start of a new one.”
Following a rough few years of poorly reviewed projects, the impressive reception of the movie was a relief for Marvel. However, it still could not overcome the box office, as Thunderbolts* grossed only $371 million globally. The film has officially become one of the lowest-grossing projects in the entire franchise. The news reveals the harsh reality that franchise branding, marketing, and positive critical acclaim aren’t guaranteed to help achieve box office success.
Fandango’s Shawn Robbins said it clearly, “Marvel’s calculus has changed. We’re in a new era where not every Marvel movie is going to hit $1 billion.” Before the pandemic, Marvel was nearly invincible during the Infinity Saga. 19 out of 22 films grossed $500 million globally. However, that spark hasn’t been the same since only six out of 13 have made that same accomplishment since then. What has been working for the studio is major team-up films, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and last year’s Deadpool and Wolverine.
Captain America: Brave New World, Ant-Man: Quantumania, and The Marvels suffered from poor reviews. Thunderbolts*, on the other hand, gained momentum, but still couldn’t make a splash at the box office. The film concluded its theatrical run in just over a month. To achieve success at the box office, Thunderbolts* needed to cross $425 million worldwide, but that won’t happen. The movie centered on anti-heroes from Disney+ streaming series and the Black Widow film.
Final Thoughts
It’s possible that the roster made it difficult for casual fans to care, mainly since the film didn’t feature any huge characters like Thor or Spider-Man. Despite the unfortunate loss at the box office, Marvel is not hitting the panic button. The studio confirmed that the anti-heroes will return in Avengers: Doomsday, which is a massive opportunity for Disney to justify its investment in the group. Thunderbolts* was released in theatres on May 2, and it will eventually make its way on Disney+ for streaming in the near future.
Audiences have shifted their interests to other genres. Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock said, “These lower-tier comic book movies aren’t cinematic slam dunks anymore.” Marvel has since changed its strategy by slowing down the number of projects to produce quality over quantity. The studio will be looking to make a summer box office smash with the upcoming film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, out July 25. In addition, Marvel does have some big hit projects coming in the future, such as Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and untitled X-Men and Black Panther films in the works.
