Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts was expected to be a major hit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five. The movie, led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, featured a darker story focused on anti-heroes. Many hoped it would be both a creative success and a strong performer at the box office.
However, the film’s earnings tell a different story. As of May 26, Thunderbolts has made $174 million in the U.S. and $181 million internationally, totaling about $355 million worldwide. Despite these numbers, the movie needed to reach around $500 million to break even. This means Thunderbolts is likely set to lose at least $100 million for Disney. It may not even reach $400 million globally.
This weak performance follows a trend in Phase Five, where several Marvel movies have fallen short of expectations. For example, Captain America: Brave New World made $415 million worldwide, which now looks better compared to Thunderbolts.
While Thunderbolts is not the lowest-grossing MCU film—that title belongs to The Marvels, which earned just $205 million worldwide—it is now the second-worst performer in the franchise. It even earned less than Eternals, which made over $400 million globally despite mixed reviews.
These results suggest more than just one bad movie. The MCU seems to be facing franchise fatigue, with audiences losing some interest and Marvel possibly needing to rethink its storytelling. The underperformance of Thunderbolts might be a sign of bigger challenges ahead for Marvel Studios as it plans new films like this summer’s Fantastic Four: The First Steps.
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