Marvel’s Thunderbolts* heading for unwanted box office record despite rave reviews

The latest MCU film about a team of misfits was called ‘Marvel’s best in years’

Thunderbolts* may have earned praise from fans and critics, but Marvel’s latest blockbuster is on course for an unwanted box office record just three weeks after its release.

The film stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a team of misfits from the Marvel universe tasked with a dangerous mission.

Jake Schreier’s directorial debut in the MCU was called “fantastic” and “genuinely emotional” upon its release this month, with The Independent’s film critic, Clarisse Loughrey, hailing it as “the best Marvel movie in years”.

The positivity surrounding the film, however, hasn’t generated the same interest at the box office where it has earned approximately $331m (£245m) at the time of writing.

Although that figure might sound impressive, in the pantheon of Marvel movies it actually places Thunderbolts* in the lower regions of overall takings for an MCU film.

Only The Incredible Hulk, which earned $265m (£196m) in 2008, and The Marvels, which brought in $199m (£147m) in 2023, have a lower box office gross, as per Forbes.

Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour and Florence Pugh ‘Thunderbolts’ (Disney-Marvel Studios vía AP)

This places Thunderbolts* as the third worst-performing MCU film to date and continues a trend of noticeable fatigue around MCU films. Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World struggled to break even against its $180m budget before eventually earning $413m (£306m) at the box office.

Thunderbolts* may eventually surpass the likes of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Black Widow (2021), which are the only two other MCU films to earn less than $400m at the global box office.

The film itself was marred in a minor controversy after Marvel opted to reveal a spoiler from the story when changing its name in the campaign material.

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*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*

At the end of Thunderbolts*, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) announces the group’s rebrand as The New Avengers. A graphic on screen after the film’s post-credits scene then informs cinemagoers: “The New Avengers will return.”

Subsequently, posters for Thunderbolts* appearing in cinemas and on billboards around the world have been updated to reveal its new title: The New Avengers.

Florence Pugh in ‘Thunderbolts’ / ‘The New Avengers’ (Marvel Studios)

Fans accused Marvel of spoiling the film with the controversial publicity stunt, while others called it a “perfect” example of marketing.

Pugh, who plays assassin Yelena Belova in the movie, later admitted on Instagram that she had been “f***ing terrified” about revealing the name change, adding that she was “sorry but what’s a girl to do when there’s a new cool as heck poster?!