After a few rocky years and a growing pile of so-so spin-offs, Marvel might finally be back on track — at least, that’s the vibe around Thunderbolts
The Florence Pugh-led anti-hero film has quietly crossed $272.2 million at the global box office, and it’s holding strong in its second week. Not bad for a film that kind of arrived without much fanfare.
It’s already doing better than Guardians Vol. 2, Brave New World, and Quantumania, with a smaller second-week drop than expected — just 44%, which is almost modest by blockbuster standards. $128.5 million of that has come from the US, and $143.7 million from overseas. That puts it on track to crack $280 million soon, which is a bit of a surprise win for the franchise.
Also surprising: Marvel decided to rebrand the movie mid-release, cheekily dubbing it New Avengers. The change folds into the plot – a low-key power struggle between Sam Wilson’s Avengers and the Thunderbolts – and plays into the studio’s broader Phase 6 setup, which kicks off in July with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Of course, there’s still the question of profitability. The film reportedly cost $180 million to make, plus another $100 million to market. That’s a big hole to climb out of, but Disney CEO Bob Iger has called it “the first and best example” of Marvel’s new focus on quality over quantity. If that’s true, it might be the start of a genuine reset — or at least a better hit rate.
Either way, Thunderbolts is proof that Marvel doesn’t need to blow everything up to get people to care again. Sometimes, a solid story and a sharp cast are enough.
