Marvel’s Thunderbolts has officially passed the $300 million mark after its third weekend at the global box office… and somehow, this is being spun as a win? That’s the take coming out of access media platforms like Screen Rant, where the entertainment outlet declared the milestone a “key mark” and “positive sign” for Marvel Studios.
But when you dig even a millimeter beneath the surface, it becomes clear this is little more than damage control for another box office underperformer from the once-invincible MCU.
Bucky in Marvels Thunderbolts* – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
According to Screen Rant, Thunderbolts has now earned $325.7 million worldwide after just two weeks in theaters. That phrasing is technically correct—the article was published during the film’s third weekend, but still within the two-week window since its May 2 release. What’s misleading isn’t the calendar math—it’s the framing.
By focusing on “two weeks,” the article tries to suggest momentum and speed, when in reality, Thunderbolts has already lost steam in its third weekend box office and is tracking well below historical MCU benchmarks.
The Real Cost of Thunderbolts
Marvel officially lists the production budget for Thunderbolts at $180 million. But that number likely represents the baseline budget—not including extensive rewrites, strike-related delays, and costly reshoots that reportedly altered the film’s structure midway through production. Based on comparisons to similar Marvel projects, industry insiders estimate the final production cost to be closer to $200–220 million.
The team in Marvels Thunderbolts* – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Then there’s marketing—a cost often ignored in spin pieces. Marvel’s global promotion for Thunderbolts, including a Super Bowl teaser and international advertising, likely pushed the overall marketing and distribution costs into the $100–150 million range. That puts Marvel’s total investment at somewhere between $300 and $370 million.
You Don’t Keep What You Make
Of course, Disney doesn’t keep 100% of the box office haul. It’s widely accepted that studios pocket around 50–55% of domestic grosses and roughly 40% or less from international sales.
So while Thunderbolts may have grossed $325.7 million globally, Marvel’s actual revenue from that total is likely only $145–160 million.
Yelena in Marvels Thunderbolts* – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
In other words, they’re not halfway to profitability. They’re possibly still in the red by over $150 million—and the film’s box office trajectory is already declining.
A Pyrrhic “Victory”
Screen Rant tries to soften the blow by comparing Thunderbolts to the lowest-grossing MCU films of all time—The Marvels ($199M) and The Incredible Hulk ($265M). That’s like claiming your team is doing great because you beat the two worst teams in the league. It’s a transparent attempt to reframe failure as success.
The Marvels is the worst and most embarrassing flop in Marvel’s history, and The Incredible Hulk is from 2008, a time in which movie tickets were almost $9 cheaper than they are today.
(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
There’s no mention of how Thunderbolts compares to recent Marvel films like:
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – $476M (considered a flop)
- Eternals – $402M (also considered a disappointment)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – $955M
Lilo, Stitch, and Nani in the live action Lilo & Stitch – YouTube, IGN
If Thunderbolts ends its run around $375–400 million, that’s not a victory—it’s Marvel just trying to minimize the loss. And that’s assuming it can even limp to those numbers as summer competition ramps up. Disney is set to cannibalize its own film this coming weekend when Lilo & Stitch (which is projected to do very well) hits theaters and siphons off the family market.
The Bottom Line
Marvel Studios has had a rough stretch, and Thunderbolts isn’t the turnaround executives were hoping for. While technically accurate, Screen Rant’s framing and selective comparisons serve to soften the reality: the movie is underperforming, and Disney is likely not recouping their investment from box office alone.
The Thunderbolts in Marvels Thunderbolts* – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
Outlets like Screen Rant may be trying to keep fan morale afloat, but the numbers—and the context—paint a much grimmer picture. Maybe it’s time the entertainment press stopped spinning silver linings around storm clouds and started calling things what they are.
How do you feel about the Thunderbolts third weekend box office? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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They always want to control the narrative. They know most of the normies don’t care enough to question it, so they’ll just go along with it.