Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ kicks off summer with $162 million worldwide

Marvel's latest cinematic offering, "Thunderbolts," has launched the summer movie season with a worldwide debut tallying $162 million over its opening weekend. This performance provides a solid initial boost for Hollywood's critical summer box office period.

Domestically, the film, which centers on an unlikely group of heroes banding together, earned $76 million across theaters in the United States and Canada. According to distributor Walt Disney, these figures align with industry projections made before the weekend.

While the North American opening was slightly below the $88.8 million earned by "Captain America: Brave New World" in February, box office analysts like Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations Co. noted it was a respectable start for a movie featuring characters primarily known for supporting roles in other Marvel stories.

Starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, "Thunderbolts" is seen as setting the stage for upcoming Marvel Universe titles, including "Fantastic Four" slated for a July release and "Avengers: Doomsday" next summer. Experts suggest this film serves as a precursor to larger narrative events within the franchise.

Internationally, the movie faced a slow opening in China, collecting $10.4 million, marking its performance as a test of the market's current appetite for Hollywood films. However, results from other international territories were viewed positively, notably outperforming last year's summer kick-off, "The Fall Guy."

The summer season is vital for the film industry, typically accounting for around 40% of annual ticket sales. While "Thunderbolts"' debut is promising, theaters continue their effort to reach attendance levels seen before the pandemic. Year-to-date figures in the US and Canada currently stand 15% higher than 2024 but remain 31.8% below 2019, a year bolstered by the record-breaking start of "Avengers: Endgame."

Adding to its positive reception, "Thunderbolts" has garnered the most favorable reviews for a Marvel Cinematic Universe entry since 2021's highly successful "Spider-Man: No Way Home." On Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of critics and 94% of moviegoers gave the film positive ratings, leading Disney's head of global theatrical distribution, Andrew Cripps, to anticipate strong word-of-mouth will encourage continued viewership.

Elsewhere in the box office weekend, the spring hit "Sinners" secured second place domestically with $33 million, bringing its total to $179.7 million. The family-friendly "A Minecraft Movie" finished third, adding $13.7 million for a cumulative domestic gross of $398.2 million.

Looking ahead, the summer movie slate promises a lineup of sequels, including "Jurassic World: Rebirth" and "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," alongside a new "Superman" film.