Despiteexcellent reviewsand a solid-enough debut a month ago, Marvel’sThunderboltscratered in the subsequent weeks at the box office. Somewhat surprisingly, the movie is poised to fall short of even the low benchmark set by its immediate predecessor,Captain America: Brave New World. That movie struggled to pass the $200 million mark domestically and the $400 million mark worldwide — milestones that will likely eludeThunderbolts, as it looks to conclude its theatrical run on a disappointing note.
With over $185 million domestically and another $188 million from overseas markets, the film’scumulative global haul stands at $374 millionso far. Produced ona reported budget of $180 million, which is on the lower end of the spectrum for a major Marvel movie,Thunderbolts*remains one of the lowest-grossing installments of the highest-grossing film franchise in history. The movie was barely able to overtake the $370 million lifetime global haul ofCaptain America: The First Avenger, which debuted over a decade ago. But now, it’s finally sneaking up on its spiritual predecessor,Black Widow. The catch is thatBlack Widow’s theatrical potential was impacted by Disney’s decision to release it day-and-date on streaming during the pandemic.
Directed byJake Schreier,Thunderbolts*has also overtaken past superhero movies such asShazam!,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and, most recently, the forgottenHugh JackmanfilmX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Released in 2009, it marked the first solo outing for Jackman as the iconic character (and also introducedRyan Reynoldsas Deadpool). Despite poor reviews, two standalone sequels followed. Both follow-ups,The WolverineandLogan, were directed byJames Mangoldand were more successful critically and commercially.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Inventive Marketing and Positive Reviews Didn’t Affect Its Run
Funnily enough, Jackman finds himself inthe same franchiseas the Thunderbolts, who were re-branded as The New Avengers at the end of the movie. Incidentally, the marketing tactics did little for the film at the box office, even though they began playing out mere days after the film’s debut. Headlined byFlorence Pugh,Thunderbolts*seems to have settled at an 88%Rotten Tomatoes score. The film’s audience score on the aggregator website is even better, at 93%.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts follows a group of unconventional superheroes who emerge in a world without the Avengers. As this new team bands together, they navigate complex missions and moral dilemmas, seeking to establish themselves as protectors while uncovering hidden threats that could jeopardize global safety and stability.
