Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” electrified the box office this past weekend, surpassing expectations with an impressive $76 million in domestic sales. While this figure may not reflect the blockbuster opening weekend numbers that Marvel movies traditionally enjoyed, it still represents an approximately 8% increase over initial projections. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, remarked that this film “sets into motion” a new chapter for Marvel. He noted that with upcoming releases such as “Fantastic Four” and the highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday”, scheduled for next year, Marvel is poised for a significant renaissance, aiming to recapture that elusive Marvel magic.
Disney’s first Marvel film of the year, “Captain America: Brave New World,” also made headlines by grossing approximately $88.5 million during the first three days of Presidents Day weekend. Dergarabedian referred to Marvel as a “good luck charm” for the summer movie season, emphasizing that this period accounts for nearly 40% of the full-year box office revenue, according to Comscore data. Notably, the absence of a Marvel film in May 2024 contributed to a sluggish start to the summer, resulting in record-low box office numbers during Memorial Day weekend.
Despite the success of “Thunderbolts,” it does not rank among the biggest superhero launches in the genre's history. David A. Gross, publisher of FranchiseRe, pointed out that superhero films are not generating the same revenue as they did prior to the pandemic. He noted, however, that the film’s opening was still considered “very good.” According to FranchiseRe data, new superhero movies currently average about $55 million during their opening weekends, reflecting a 41% decline compared to the figures seen from 2015 to 2019.
In addition to Marvel's success, Disney experienced another surprising box office win with the re-release of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” which secured the No. 2 spot for the weekend, outperforming Warner Bros. Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Accountant 2.” Shawn Robbins, director of movie analytics at Fandango, highlighted that this level of performance for re-releases has not been seen in nearly a decade. He attributed the success to the nostalgic appeal of the film, particularly among younger fans who might have missed it in theaters.
Warner Bros. has also contributed positively to the box office landscape with the sustained success of “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie,” both of which claimed the No. 1 spot during their opening weekends. As of now, “Sinners” has grossed $179 million domestically, while “A Minecraft Movie” has reached $398 million. Robbins stated that the overwhelming buzz surrounding “Sinners” is likely to keep its momentum going for several weeks, indicating a diverse release slate that the industry has long sought.
The summer box office is expected to be dominated by big sequels, remakes, and family-oriented films, according to Gross. Next weekend appears to lack significant new competition, allowing “Sinners,” “A Minecraft Movie,” and “Thunderbolts” to continue their box office battles. This competitive atmosphere will persist until Memorial Day weekend when Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” debuts alongside Paramount Pictures’ “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” Dergarabedian suggested that this upcoming weekend could potentially be one of the biggest in history, setting the stage nicely for “Thunderbolts.”
