They Promised An MCU Reboot—Thunderbolts Just Smashed the Alarm Instead
Thunderbolts was supposed to be Marvel's antidote for franchise fatigue. A bruised-up, ensemble anti-hero flick starring Florence Pugh, a fresh coat of darkness, and a trailer that all but yelled, “This is not your dad's Avengers.” But here we are: $355M worldwide. Still circling the $400M drain—while Disney's accountants have already called in the therapy dogs.
This isn't just “bad by Marvel standards.” It's deranged. The break-even point? $500M. So we're talking about a likely $100 million loss and counting—a box office implosion so spectacular, even Eternals is sending edible arrangements.
Tear up those tracking spreadsheets. Thunderbolts now has the second-worst gross in MCU history, only outflopped by The Marvels (the “cursed banana peel” of superhero flicks at $205M). For comparison: Captain America: Brave New World face-planted, too, but “rebounded” at $415M. That's Marvel's idea of a consolation prize—a participation trophy.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: No one is using “guaranteed hit” and “MCU” in the same sentence anymore—unless they're calling it wishful thinking.
Historical Faceplant: It's Not Just You, Marvel
Remember 2015's Fantastic Four reboot? Box office black hole. Or 2021's Eternals—savaged by critics, still banked $400M+. But Thunderbolts can't even clear that “disappointing but not disastrous” hurdle.
Experts point to a cocktail of problems:
- Franchise fatigue (USA Today, 2024): Even diehards can't swallow this much CGI trauma.
- Anti-hero oversaturation (IndieWire, “Why Every Dark MCU Gambit Flops,” 2024): When everyone's an anti-hero, no one is.
- Loss of narrative stakes (Variety, 2024 analysis): No purple guy to punch, no audience to care.
A Marvel staffer (anonymously) told Vulture, “We thought Thunderbolts was different, but every preview screening felt like bringing kale chips to a rave. The crowd just wasn't hungry.”
Choose Your Apocalypse
Has Marvel broken its own money-printing machine? Is this the phase where Disney finally hits ‘reset,' or does the MCU just fade, gradually, into meme status?
