Thunderbolts has officially wrapped its theatrical run, and the final numbers are bad — really bad. The Marvel Studios team-up movie finishes as the second-worst box office performer in the MCU’s history, only topping The Marvels.
When adjusted for inflation, Thunderbolts ranks second-worst both domestically and worldwide.
It’s office: The New Avengers has disassembled.
Thunderbolts’ Final Box Office
Per Box Office Mojo, Thunderbolts‘ ended it’s box office run last Thursday after being in theaters for 98 days:
- Domestic: $190,274,328 (49.8%)
- International: $192,162,589 (50.2%)
- Worldwide: $382,436,917
For perspective, even some of Marvel’s early Phase 1 titles, made for less, outperformed Thunderbolts when ticket prices are adjusted to today’s dollars (see below). What it shows is that more people went to see those movies than Thunderbolts.
The Marvels Still Holds the Bottom Spot
While Thunderbolts avoided the MCU’s worst-ever placement, it only did so by staying just ahead of The Marvels. That film grossed $206.1M worldwide — far less than Thunderbolts — but with inflation factored in, both are in a league of their own for underperformance.
We also know both The Marvels and Thunderbolts failed to reach their target audiences.
Marvel’s Box Office Problem
With Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and now Fantastic Four: First Steps all underdelivering, Marvel’s box office struggles have become a pattern rather than a one-off.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige appears to be adjusting course. According to the recent tease, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool will be brought into Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars — moves aimed at injecting proven box office firepower into the MCU’s biggest upcoming event films.
Deadpool to the Rescue
Feige recently acknowledged that Marvel has struggled to get audiences invested in characters who debuted primarily on Disney+, such as those in The Marvels and Thunderbolts.
Deadpool, fresh off the billion-dollar success of Deadpool & Wolverine, is seen as a crowd-pleaser who can bring energy — and ticket sales — to the next Avengers movies.
If Feige’s pivot works, Avengers: Doomsday could be the film that stops the MCU’s losing streak. If it doesn’t, Marvel may be facing an even bigger problem than Thunderbolts ever was.
MCU worldwide box office Bottom Performers adjusted for inflation:
- Thor: The Dark World: $892,790,920
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: $799,859,792
- Ant-Man: $706,741,654
- Thor: $644,331,321.95
- Captain America: The First Avenger: $531,394,541.95
- Shang-Chi: $514,539,722
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: $503,974,361.48
- Eternals: $478,615,551
- Black Widow: $452,054,004
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps: $435,341,493 (still in theaters)
- Captain America: Brave New World: $415,101,577
- The Incredible Hulk: $396,672,583.48
- Thunderbolts: $382,436,917
- The Marvels: $218,218,785
