Marvel Studios’ newest ensemble superhero film, Thunderbolts, is poised to hit the coveted $100 million milestone at the domestic box office. Headlined by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, the film took in a healthy $4.2 million on Thursday, closing out its first full week in theaters with only a 2.7% decline from Wednesday a remarkable hold compared to other recent MCU releases.
Strong Week-One Numbers Show Promise
Thunderbolts beat out a number of recent Marvel releases midweek, such as The Marvels ($1.3M, -30%), Captain America: Brave New World ($3.2M, -5.1%), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($3.9M, -15.6%). It even nearly equaled Thursday takes on reputable titles like The Winter Soldier ($4.6M) and Ant-Man ($4.7M, -8.1%).
this guy aura farms for 90% of his screen time in #Thunderbolts
…and it’s awesome pic.twitter.com/PkimYO7dzv
— Nikko @ CCFF (@NikkoCaruso) May 2, 2025
With its U.S. total at $95.3 million and a global gross of $181.6 million, Thunderbolts has emerged as the eighth highest-grossing film of 2025 to date, with good momentum going into its second week.
A Grittier Marvel Team Glows
Directed by Jake Schrier and written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, Thunderbolts tells the story of a group of antiheroes—played by Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus forced together for a mission that could be the key to redemption. The movie also features Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen.
Also Read: Thunderbolts Takes a Hit! Discount Tuesday Can’t Save It from Captain America Showdown
First teased in 2021, the movie was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood strikes but eventually completed filming in mid-2024. It opened in London on April 22 and entered U.S. theaters on May 2, as the culmination of Marvel’s Phase Five.
The last scene shows a huge twist a rebranding of the team as “The New Avengers,” hinting at thrilling things to come for the MCU’s future.
