Marvel’s Thunderbolts Faces Tough Competition After Struggling Captain America Opening

LOS ANGELES, CA – Following a year characterized by a limited theatrical release, Marvel Studios is navigating a challenging start to 2025. The franchise’s latest entry, Captain America: Brave New World, premiered to a modest $88.8 million during the three-day President’s Day weekend, with a four-day domestic total of $100 million.

Despite expectations, Brave New World has struggled to gain momentum, achieving only $188 million domestically in the first five weeks. This period saw limited competition, with no film surpassing $50 million in opening weekend earnings. The upcoming release of Thunderbolts, an anti-hero ensemble film pulling together familiar faces from Marvel’s extensive cinematic and television universe, will face considerably stronger competition.

“Thunderbolts will have to contend with bigger titles such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Chapter, Lilo & Stitch, and Karate Kid when it opens later this May,” said movie industry analyst John Smith. “This could significantly impact its box office results.”

As premium format screens become increasingly scarce post-opening weekend, Thunderbolts may find it challenging to attract casual Marvel fans who may wish to see it after hearing positive buzz. The impact of early reviews and audience reactions will likely shape its performance potential shortly after its release.

In light of Brave New World’s soft numbers, many industry forecasters anticipate that Thunderbolts may not surpass the $100 million mark during its opening weekend. “Marvel’s ensemble films have struggled to find the same response since the 2019 blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame, which may influence audience expectations,” noted Smith.

On a more positive note, Thunderbolts benefits from featuring characters that are largely known to loyal Marvel audiences, contrasting with the poorly received Eternals, which opened to $71.2 million domestically in 2021. However, many of these characters, like Taskmaster and Alexei from Black Widow, haven’t been seen in recent years, which poses a potential risk of diminishing interest from fans outside the MCU’s core audience.

If Thunderbolts falls short of expectations, Marvel Studios will have another opportunity to recuperate before the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, with the July release of Fantastic Four: First Steps. This film is anticipated to provide a refreshed narrative direction, showcasing Marvel’s iconic “First Family” for the first time in their dedicated cinematic universe.