Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Roars to $11M Opening Night – Strong Start for the Superhero Sequel
Marvel Studios’ latest superhero film Thunderbolts is making waves with a strong $11 million in Thursday night previews, signaling a promising start for the highly anticipated film. While the number could fluctuate as late-night receipts come in, the early figure is an encouraging sign for the film’s future at the box office. With summer blockbusters starting to roll in, this early performance offers hope that Thunderbolts will be another hit for Marvel Studios.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts receives a glowing 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film, which features an ensemble cast including Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, is garnering early praise from fans. It boasts a glowing 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, outshining the critics’ 88% rating and setting the stage for a favorable reception. This marks a remarkable contrast to Marvel’s recent release Captain America: Brave New World, which garnered a more tepid 48% critic score and a 78% audience score.
Thunderbolts: A Sequel with Big Expectations
While Thunderbolts is not a direct sequel, it pulls together several key characters from Marvel’s Disney+ series The Falcon and Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and the film Black Widow. This interconnected narrative has fans buzzing with excitement, with the film positioning itself as a pivotal entry into the MCU.
As one of the most anticipated Marvel films of the year, Thunderbolts follows a ragtag team of antiheroes as they embark on their own mission. The ensemble includes a mix of fan-favorite characters like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), further driving interest in the movie. In addition to its strong audience score, the film has also benefited from a solid pre-sale performance, with figures showing Thunderbolts ahead of both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals in terms of ticket sales at this point in time.
Box Office Projections and Comparisons
The Thursday night previews for Thunderbolts are slightly behind Captain America: Brave New World’s $12 million, but they still put the movie ahead of past MCU films like Shang-Chi ($8.8M) and Eternals ($9.5M). Given the summer box office competition, these early figures show that Thunderbolts could perform similarly to Captain America: Brave New World, which earned $88.8 million over its three-day opening weekend and ultimately grossed $414.8 million globally.
Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan lead Marvel's Thunderbolts to a promising start.
Looking ahead, projections estimate Thunderbolts will gross between $70 million and $75 million in its domestic opening, with a global total potentially hitting $175 million on the high end. The movie is also benefiting from a range of premium ticketing options, including IMAX, Dolby, ScreenX, and 4DX formats, which should further boost its earnings.
A Bright Future for Thunderbolts: Marvel’s Superheroes Still Dominate
While Thunderbolts’ Thursday night haul is solid, the film’s overall box office success will depend on how it performs throughout the weekend and in the coming weeks. With strong pre-sales and a solid early fan response, Thunderbolts seems poised to have a successful run at the box office, further adding to the MCU’s already impressive list of hits.
At the same time, Thunderbolts isn’t the only major release currently competing for attention. Warner Bros.’ Sinners, a vampire period drama directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, is expected to take a dip of around 23% in its third weekend, but is still projected to rake in between $32 million and $35 million. With a packed summer of big-name releases ahead, Thunderbolts will have to maintain its momentum to stay at the top of the box office.
Thunderbolts makes waves in its opening weekend, competing with MCU blockbusters.
As the weekend progresses, fans and box office analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Thunderbolts can meet or exceed expectations and prove once again that the MCU is an unstoppable force at the movies.
Marvel’s Cinematic Universe: Continuing to Lead the Charge in Superhero Films
For now, Thunderbolts is off to an excellent start, and its early success speaks to the ongoing strength of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With audience anticipation high and fan excitement building, Thunderbolts is well-positioned to become another major box office win for Marvel Studios in a summer already brimming with blockbuster potential.
