A newMarvel Cinematic Universereport shines more light on theThunderboltsbox office results and what this could mean for future Marvel Studios productions. While The Multiverse Saga is getting closer to its end, Marvel Studios' journey from 2021 has been up and down for them when it comes to their critical and financial success. Even though there have been MCU movies in Phases 4 and 5 that have been well-received both in reviews and commercially, some of the critical winners have not been box office hits for Marvel Studios, liketheThunderboltsmovie.
In a new report fromVariety, which dives deeper intoThunderbolts*‘sbox office performance, the trade addressed the Phase 5 finale’s success, or lack thereof. The movie reportedly cost $180 million to produce and"closer"to $100 million to market, andneeded to have made $425 million worldwide to break even. However, theThunderbolts*box office total is currently sitting at $377 million.Varietyalso spoke with numerous analysts aboutThunderbolts*‘scommercial results when it comes to the MCU:
Shawn Robbins (Fandango’s movie analytics director):“Marvel’s calculus has changed. We’re in a new era where not every Marvel movie is going to hit $1 billion.”
Jeff Bock (Exhibitor Relations analyst):“These lower-tier comic book movies aren’t cinematic slam dunks anymore. Thunderbolts*’ wrapping up after just a month in theaters is also a concern. These films aren’t legging out like previous iterations.”
David A. Gross (Franchise Entertainment Research analyst):“Studios are working hard to bring the high-end budgets down. We’re going to see less over-spending than the years after the pandemic.”
What Thunderbolts*’s Box Office And The Marvel Report Means
WhiletheThunderboltspost-credits sceneand ending may have led to the team having a larger place in the MCU, it doesn’t erase the fact that a property like the Thunderbolts, one of Marvel’s more obscure groups, was always going to be a challenge to market to a general audience. Despite being a powerful, crucial story for the characters,Thunderboltscenters on the less important characters of the MCU, a factor that may be why audience members didn’t show up for the Phase 5 installment. That is also likely why Marvel Studios very quickly revealedThe New Avengerstitle followingThunderbolts*‘spremiere, hoping that it would raise more interest.
With the end results forThunderboltsat the box office,the chances ofaThunderbolts 2movieare most definitely slim to none at this point. What the MCU may start doing more in future phases when it comes to building more awareness and investment into characters like theThunderbolts*players is to have them featured in bigger titles that are more guaranteed to be financial hits. That can be from MCU franchises like theAvengersmovies orSpider-Mansequels that have always proven to be successful at the box office.
Our Take On Thunderbolts*’s Box Office And The Marvel Report
While it is disappointing to see thatThunderboltsdidn’t become a commercial hit for Marvel Studios, as this was one of the stronger stories in The Multiverse Saga, it’ll be interesting to see how the future of the franchise is structured going forward, especially with what titles will even get greenlit. With the focus on quality over quantity,there will definitely be more careful decisions when it comes to budgets for future MCU movies, and even TV shows. Despite their box office results, fans can still look forward to seeing theThunderboltscharacters in 2026 when they return forAvengers: Doomsday.
Thunderbolts*
Cast
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
