Summer blockbuster 'Thunderbolts' soars to $162 million opening weekend

Marvel movie "Thunderbolts" brought in $162 million at theaters worldwide over the weekend, providing a solid start to the summer movie season that is key to Hollywood's year at the box office.

"Thunderbolts," the story of a ragtag group of heroes who unite to fight a supervillain, earned $76 million of its total in the United States and Canada, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday.

The returns aligned with pre-weekend forecasts, though below the $88.8 million domestic opening of Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World" in February.

"This is about what we've come to expect from Marvel movies in the recent marketplace," said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. He said it was a decent start for a movie with lesser-known characters that have played sidekicks in other Marvel stories.

Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce, and Jake Schreier attend the European premiere of Marvel Studios' ''Thunderbolts*" in London, Britain, April 22, 2025. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, "Thunderbolts" sets the stage for Marvel's July release "Fantastic Four" and next summer's "Avengers: Doomsday." "This is a prelude to something much bigger," Bock said.

"Thunderbolts" had a slow opening of $10.4 million in China, the first test of Chinese appetites for Hollywood films since authorities pledged to limit movie imports as part of a trade war with the Trump administration.

Bock said the figures from the rest of the world were positive, considering "Thunderbolts" doubled last year's dismal start to summer with "The Fall Guy."

Hollywood brings in about 40% of the year's box office receipts during the summer season, which the industry measures from the first weekend in May through Labor Day in September. Theaters are still trying to climb back to pre-pandemic ticket sales levels.

Through Sunday, year-to-date ticket sales in the United States and Canada ran 15% above 2024 but 31.8% below 2019. The summer of 2019 benefited from "Avengers: Endgame," which had a record opening of $357.1 million at domestic theaters.

"Thunderbolts" had the strongest reviews for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film since 2021’s hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," said Andrew Cripps, head of global theatrical distribution at Disney. On the Rotten Tomatoes website, 88% of critics and 94% of moviegoers gave it positive marks.

"I think word of mouth will be powerful and people will continue to discover it," Cripps said of "Thunderbolts."

Also this weekend, Spring Smash: Sinners finished the weekend in second place on domestic charts behind Thunderbolts, collecting $33 million and bringing its total to $179.7 million. Family film "A Minecraft Movie" landed third with $13.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $398.2 million.

The coming summer slate includes sequels, including "Jurassic World: Rebirth" and "Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning," plus a new "Superman" movie.