Box Office: Marvel to kick off summer blockbuster season with Thunderbolts in 4,200 theaters

Marvel Studios is gearing up to launch the summer blockbuster season with the highly anticipated release of Thunderbolts, hitting 4,200 theaters across the US on May 2. As the final entry in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film brings together a team of morally gray antiheroes forced into a deadly mission that could lead to their redemption.

Directed by Jake Schreier and penned by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, Thunderbolts features an ensemble cast led by Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and David Harbour. Joining them are Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Wendell Pierce. The film’s official synopsis teases a mix of espionage, betrayal, and character-driven drama, offering a shift in tone that is reminiscent of Marvel’s earlier, more grounded era.

Development for Thunderbolts began in 2022, with Marvel planting story seeds in previous projects. However, its production was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes. Filming eventually took place between February and June 2024 across Georgia, Utah, and Kuala Lumpur. With a reported budget of USD 150 million, the film is projected to earn USD 400 million and upwards globally, and its box office performance will be closely watched following the underperformance of recent MCU titles, including the still-in-theaters Captain America: Brave New World.

Unlike previous summer openers headlined by fan-favorite superheroes like Iron Man or Spider-Man, Thunderbolts centers on lesser-known and unconventional characters. Its success will hinge on how well it resonates with both longtime Marvel fans and general audiences. The film has drawn comparisons to Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad, both of which are team-based ventures that found commercial success despite initial skepticism.

Buzz is building for Thunderbolts. Early IMAX screenings held on April 22 generated an overwhelmingly positive reception from fans on social media, with the studio lifting the embargo. The full review embargo lifts on April 30. Stay tuned for more on the film’s merit if planning to catch it in theaters.

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