Making the most of little competition at the global box office this weekend, Marvel’sThunderboltsretained its number one position and passed a major new milestone. The superhero movie made around $160 million worldwide in its debut weekend and has now passed the lifetime haul of the studio’s biggest bomb,The Marvels. Whether it is able to break through a new ceiling of sorts for Marvel movies — around $400 million globally — will become clearer as its run progresses. But if its performance this weekend is anything to go by,Thunderboltsis on the right track. With around $130 million domestically and another $143 million from overseas markets, the film’scumulative global haul stands at $272 million.
Directed byJake Schreier, the movie registered a solid second-weekend hold, dropping less drastically than Marvel’s last three releases —Captain America: Brave New World,Deadpool & Wolverine, andThe Marvels. These three movies encapsulate Marvel’s new reality;the studio simply can’t guarantee blockbusters any longer. WhileThe Marvels’ remains its lowest-grossing release of all time,Deadpool & Wolverinebroke through the clutter and passed the $1 billion mark globally.Brave New World, on the other hand, fell neither here nor there. Released earlier this year, the movie is poised to conclude its run with under $420 million worldwide.
Like that film,Thunderboltscost a reported $180 million to produce. This is on the lower end of the spectrum for the superhero genre, which has routinely been churning out films that cost over $200 million in the last decade or so.Thunderboltsintroduced a new team of superheroes to theMarvel Cinematic Universe, which is building towards a massive rebound next year, in the form ofAvengers: Doomsday. In a few months, the studio will also debutThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is expected to directly lead intoDoomsday.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Has Overtaken One of Marvel Studios' Earliest Films
Thunderbolts*’ $272 million global haul puts it ahead of fellow superhero releases such asDark Phoenix, which concluded 20th Century Studios’ X-Men franchise on a sour note;M. Night Shyamalan’s cult classicUnbreakable;Ang Lee’s standaloneHulk, and the MCU’s ownThe Incredible Hulk. The one thing thatThunderbolts*has going in its favor is the positiveaudience response. This can make all the difference between a mediocre hit and a blockbuster. Currently, the movie holds a “verified hot” 94% audience score onRotten Tomatoes, in addition to a stellar 88% critics’ score.Thunderbolts*has been appreciated for its fresh approach to the superhero genre and for the chemistry of its ensemble cast, led byFlorence Pugh.
You can watch the film in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Thunderbolts*
