Thunderbolts* Approaches $280M Box Office Amid New Avengers Marketing Campaign

*Thunderbolts\** delivered a solid second weekend at the global box office, especially by recent MCU standards, pushing its total earnings to $272.2 million worldwide. The film, led by Florence Pugh, brought in an additional $33.1 million domestically and $34 million internationally—securing the top spot for the second consecutive week. While it experienced a -44% drop from its opening weekend, that’s notably better than previous MCU films like *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2* (-52%), *Captain America: Brave New World* (-54%), and *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania* (-54%). So far, *Thunderbolts\** has earned an estimated $128.5 million in North America and $143.7 million overseas.

Marvel ramped up the promotional campaign last week, even rebranding the film officially as *New Avengers*. The studio extended the movie's narrative beyond the screen, dramatizing the tension between Sam Wilson’s Avengers and the Thunderbolts team in real-world marketing. This strategic push appears aimed at sustaining audience interest ahead of the critical rollout of Phase 6, highlighted by *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*, set to debut in July.

According to Variety, Disney invested $180 million in production costs and an additional $100 million on marketing for Thunderbolts*, meaning the film must maintain strong international performance to achieve profitability through theatrical release alone.

Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger praised Thunderbolts* during a public interview, calling it “the first and best example” of Marvel’s renewed focus on prioritizing quality over quantity in its cinematic output.

Did you like the Thunderbolts movie? ------------------------------------

Yeah! Nope.Meh.I haven't watched it yet.

AnswerSee ResultsWith a domestic opening of $76 million, Thunderbolts* secured the top spot at the box office and was considered a steady rather than spectacular start. That figure outperformed Eternals ($71 million) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75 million), though it fell short of most other MCU launch numbers.

Audience and critic reception, however, has been relatively positive. IGN awarded Thunderbolts* a 7/10, noting: “Thunderbolts* has, like its sort-of-not-really antagonist, both a dark half and a light half. But only one of them is actually pretty great (hint: it’s the one that involves plumbing the depths of the characters’ worst memories).”

Disney is counting on this positive buzz to help Thunderbolts* have greater longevity than Captain America: Brave New World, which saw a sharp decline after its debut. In recent years, the MCU has struggled at the box office more often than not, with only occasional standouts like the billion-dollar hit Deadpool & Wolverine.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show

View 18 ImagesLooking ahead, 2026 promises major releases including Avengers: Doomsday on May 1 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31. Then in 2027, fans can expect Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7.

Meanwhile, Sinners has now grossed $283.3 million globally, and A Minecraft Movie continues to perform well with $909.6 million after six weekends in theaters.