Marvel’s Thunderbolts will hit Disney+ on August 27, giving the studio’s latest underperforming MCU movie a shot at finding a larger audience at home.
The release comes less than a month after wrapping up its theatrical run, where it ended as the second-worst MCU performer of all time — only The Marvels fared worse.
Thunderbolts is generally well-received by those fans that watched it, so the Disney+ streaming release could do well.
Word about the Disney+ release comes via a reporter at THR.
Update: Marvel confirms with the release of a new poster: One last shot at redemption. Stream Marvel Studios’ #Thunderbolts* on August 27, only on Disney+.”
From Theaters to Streaming
Thunderbolts finished with $382.4M worldwide — $190.2M domestic and $192.1M international — failing to recoup its estimated $180M production budget once marketing is factored in.
Disney officially named the flick a loss in its latest investor report.
The film’s quick move to Disney+ is in line with other recent MCU flops, which have been pushed to streaming faster in hopes of boosting engagement on the platform and salvaging merchandise sales.
A Second Life on Disney+?
The film could benefit from home viewership, especially from fans who skipped it in theaters but remain invested in the MCU’s broader storyline.
Kevin Feige has admitted that characters tied heavily to Disney+ series have struggled to draw general audiences — a problem for Thunderbolts, which features multiple heroes and antiheroes introduced on streaming.
Looking Ahead
The streaming debut comes as Marvel pivots to shore up its box office prospects for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Following disappointing runs for Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, and now the slowing Fantastic Four: First Steps, Feige is reportedly bringing Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool into the Avengers films to inject proven box office appeal and save the day.
Whether Thunderbolts finds new fans on Disney+ or remains a box office misfire in the MCU’s history, its performance is already shaping the strategy for Marvel’s future blockbusters.
