Thunderbolts* has gone down a storm with fans and critics alike; as we write this, the movie has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with 96% on the fan-voted Popcornmeter.
That Audience Score places it behind only Spider-Man: Far From Home/Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (98%) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (97%), so yes, the MCU is so back. PostTrak exit polls have seen audiences give it a phenomenal 4.5/5 (we'll have a CinemaScore for you tomorrow morning).
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Thunderbolts* slightly exceeded expectations with $11.5 million from Thursday preview screenings. It's currently eyeing a $70 million - $73 million domestic debut and a $160 million - $175 million bow globally. The movie cost $180 million to produce.
This positive word of mouth could see the Black Widow and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier follow-up come in higher than expected; crucially, it will likely have a much better hold heading into its second and third weekends than Captain America: Brave New World.
Hopefully, it will be a hit because Marvel Studios needs to be making more movies like this.
"Thunderbolts* redefines superhero storytelling to deliver a moving and powerful story that does for the 'Multiverse Saga' what The Avengers did for the 'Infinity Saga' in 2012," we said in our review. "These heroes have earned their place on a Wheaties box."
Next up for Marvel Studios is The Fantastic Four: First Steps; then, heading into 2026, we have Avengers: Doomsday as the beginning of the end of the Multiverse Saga kicks off with the return of the Russo Brothers.
Check out another new TV spot for Thunderbolts* below.
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is now playing in theaters.