Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts is off to a promising start, grossing $11.5 million in Thursday night previews — a figure that places it almost on par with Marvel’s other offering this year, Captain America: Brave New World ($12M), and ahead of other recent MCU outings like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($8.8M) and Eternals ($9.5M).
The strong performance comes at a crucial time for both Marvel and Disney, who have been seeking a stabilizing hit after a stretch of underwhelming theatrical returns and pandemic/post-strike disruptions. Notably, the studio was forced to push Deadpool & Wolverine — originally slotted as 2024’s summer kickoff — to late July due to industry strikes.
The good news for Marvel isn’t just at the box office. Early audience reception for Thunderbolts has been remarkably positive, with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score complementing its 88% certified fresh rating from critics. That puts it well ahead of Brave New World, which despite opening to $88.8M over three days and $100M over four (Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend), only managed 48% with critics and 78% with audiences. While Brave New World ultimately grossed over $400M globally, it lacked the staying power Thunderbolts may no enjoy thanks to its enthusiastic word of mouth.
Industry projections, which initially placed Thunderbolts in the $70–75M range for its domestic opening, have now been revised upward by several leading box office analysts. Some predict the Florence Pugh–Sebastian Stan ensemble could open north of $80M, with optimistic forecasts reaching as high as $85M. If realized, that would mark a significant turnaround for the MCU and another boost to theaters following the back-to-back momentum of A Minecraft Movie and Sinners.
Part of the movie’s success may lie in its cross-franchise DNA. Functioning as a soft sequel to Black Widow and the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye, Thunderbolts pulls together a fan-favorite group of anti-heroes into a cohesive summer tentpole. With premium format screenings (IMAX, Dolby, 4DX, ScreenX) adding to its total, the global weekend projection currently sits at up to $175M.
If Thunderbolts continues on this trajectory, it may not only signal a much-needed MCU resurgence but also help solidify 2025’s summer movie season as a return to form.