Marvel's Thunderbolts Dominates Box Office, Beats Shang-Chi Debut

Marvel’s Thunderbolts hit theaters with a bang, pulling in 76 million USD in the U.S. and 162.1 million USD worldwide during its opening weekend. It’s the third-biggest movie opening of 2025 so far. Starring Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, now a congressman, the film follows a rough-around-the-edges team of antiheroes.

Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts won over audiences with its sharp humor and action, earning a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- CinemaScore. With a 180 million USD budget, the movie’s strong start and buzz suggest it could keep drawing crowds, especially as it hints at Marvel’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Its “Not Super. Not Heroes” marketing vibe clicked with viewers, 63% male, and it racked up 86.1 million USD across 52 countries.

Thunderbolts brings back fan-favorite characters like David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a sneaky CIA boss. While Thunderbolts didn’t match the massive openings of Marvel hits like Avengers: Endgame (357 million USD) or Deadpool & Wolverine (211 million USD), it still performed well for a film featuring characters like Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Stan’s Bucky Barnes. Marvel’s decision to market the movie as The New Avengers on some posters is helping draw in more viewers by connecting it to the 2026 Avengers: Doomsday. “This feels like a win for Marvel after a few up-and-down years,” said Shawn Robbins, an analyst at Fandango. Pugh’s star power, has fueled positive word-of-mouth, with analysts predicting strong legs at the box office.

Thunderbolts blew past expectations for a movie starring Marvel’s lesser-known faces, beating Shang-Chi’s 75 million USD opening but not quite hitting Black Widow’s 80 USD million. It’s a huge win for the 2025 summer movie season after a sleepy 2024. As blockbusters like Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World Rebirth loom, Thunderbolts is electrifying crowds.