Thunderbolts* was undoubtedly one of the best movies to come out of the MCU’s arsenal in a long time. Despite receiving acclaim from both critics and audiences, the film fell short at the box office, earning only $382 million globally against its $180 million budget. Now, it is heading to Disney+ (JioHotstar in India) on August 27. While the streaming release won’t magically erase its theatrical underperformance, it could salvage some of the movie’s value and preserve Marvel’s momentum for big future projects such as Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
In a recent investor report, Disney even grouped Thunderbolts* with other films contributing to a significant operating loss, a clear signal that the company doesn’t expect it to recoup its full costs through traditional box office, streaming, and licensing revenue streams.
The film’s poor performance is part of a larger trend of recent MCU entries struggling to connect with audiences in theatres. The primary reason behind this mess is Disney’s decision to flood audiences with “too much content” from its top-performing franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During 2022–2023, Marvel Studios released a slew of TV shows and movies, while a few turned out to be genuinely good, the rest were either “mediocre” or “plain horrible.”
Moreover, the film’s lacklustre box office showing is also attributed to a broader phenomenon of “superhero fatigue” and a lack of audience familiarity with the characters, most of whom were introduced primarily in Disney+ shows.
While the theatrical run didn’t work out for Thunderbolts*, this Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan starrer has a pretty good chance to perform well on Disney+. Most of the big summer releases of 2025 came out in June and July, such as F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Now, apart from The Conjuring: Last Rites and Tron: Ares, no other major Hollywood release is scheduled for September and October this year.
This scenario gives Thunderbolts* plenty of time to lure a substantial audience to Disney+ and secure some much-needed additional revenue.
The underperformance of Thunderbolts* and other recent films has led Marvel to re-evaluate its strategy. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has also acknowledged that the sheer volume of content, especially on Disney+, has diluted audience focus. The studio is now reportedly adjusting its plans for future projects, focusing on fewer films and shows, and bringing back proven fan-favourite characters like Deadpool to inject new life and excitement into the franchise.
Yes, Thunderbolts* is not a box office hit, but its life on Disney+ could still make it a valuable piece of the larger Marvel puzzle, helping to justify its existence and setting the stage for what comes next. Stay tuned for more updates.
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