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Thunderbolts* had the critics behind it and even a decent wave of audience support, but none of that translated into ticket sales. Unfortunately, the film ended up being a costly misfire even after being promoted as a sharp turn into a more focused era for Marvel. According to Collider, despite strong reviews and early optimism, it is now expected to lose over $50 million.
Thunderbolts* Box Office Numbers Fall Short Of Break-Even Point
Thunderbolts* made about $378 million globally before leaving most theaters, which is a disappointing number for a franchise that used to easily clear half a billion. Even with a scaled-down production budget and streamlined marketing, the film needed $425 million just to break even, but that mark stayed out of reach.
Thunderbolts* Worldwide Box Office Breakdown
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Here’s a look at the total collection of Thunderbolts* per Box Office Mojo (at the time of writing):
- Domestic – $187 million
- International – $190 million
- Worldwide- $378 million
Critical Acclaim No Longer Guarantees Box Office Success
This may appear even more surprising as it was not just about the underperformance of another Marvel sequel. Thunderbolts* was not thrown together, and it had a clear role in the studio’s future, tying into Avengers: Doomsday. The film was cleanly made with solid performances, and the feedback was better than most recent MCU efforts.
The movie currently has an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer and 93% in Popcornmeter. The critics concensus says, “Assembling a ragtag band of underdogs with Florence Pugh as their magnetic standout, Thunderbolts* refreshingly returns to the tried-and-true blueprint of the MCU’s best adventures.” However, even that was not enough to get people to show up.
