Thunderbolts* arrived in U.S. theaters yesterday afternoon, and positive word of mouth is already lending this ragtag team a helping hand. According to Deadline, early projections point to an $11 million start at the domestic box office from Thursday previews.
That figure is subject to change later today, but this is higher than expected and a solid start for a movie featuring a team of relatively obscure MCU characters.
While $11 million is behind Captain America: Brave New World's $12 million haul, that had the advantage of being a billion-dollar franchise with a recognisable brand name. It also plummeted in subsequent weekends when it became clear that audiences weren't overly impressed by a movie that underwent multiple rounds of extensive reshoots.
Thunderbolts* has already beaten Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings ($8.8 million) and Eternals ($9.5 million), and some analysts believe initial $75 million opening weekend projections could now rise to upwards of $80 million.
The movie's Rotten Tomatoes score increased to 90% yesterday evening, but has since settled back to 88%. Moviegoers have weighed in, though, awarding it a "Certified Hot" 96% on the Popcornmeter (formerly known as the Audience Score).
That's even more crucial than the critic score because Thunderbolts* will benefit hugely from repeat viewings in the weeks ahead. We'd bet on Marvel Studios revealing the asterisk's meaning publicly too as that should further boose interest among casual fans.
"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."
You can check out a 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.