On May 2, Marvel released a new film as part of its Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts*. However, instead of being a movie about superheroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, or Doctor Strange, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* was about an unlikely group of antiheroes who are forced to work together.
Thunderbolts* starred Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, and David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian. After narrowly surviving a deadly trap set by Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the team is forced to unite for a mission that compels them to face the painful pasts they’ve tried to leave behind.
Related: Eight Years Later, Marvel Will Reportedly Replace ‘Infinity War’
Many of the characters had appeared in previous Marvel films and were popular with fans, but that, unfortunately, did not translate into success at the box office. The film grossed under $400 million at the box office, and according to reports, it needed to make more than $425 million just to break even. It is currently one of Marvel’s lowest-grossing films.
On August 27, Thunderbolts* made its streaming debut on Disney+, fans flocked to the platform, and the movie flew to the top of the charts. In the three days since it has been on Disney+, it has become the third most-watched movie on the streamer, coming in behind LEGO Disney Princess: Villains Unite (2025) and Incredibles 2 (2018).
Related: Pedro Pascal Reportedly Done With Marvel ‘Avengers’ Franchise After Recent Fall Out
One of the biggest reveals about Thunderbolts* had to do with the asterisk in the title. The use of the asterisk was a huge secret at first, but was then revealed to be the introduction of the team’s new name — the New Avengers. This appears to directly tie the antiheroes to the new Avengers films — Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
The post-credits scene also introduced The Fantastic Four to the MCU, as the group’s spaceship finally arrived in the main universe. The Fantastic Four: First Steps premiered in theaters worldwide on July 25.
Thunderbolts* is not the first film under the Disney umbrella to tank at the box office. However, it is also following the habit of failing to bring audiences to theaters, but soaring to success on Disney+. Films like Wish (2023), Elemental (2023), Haunted Mansion (2023), and Snow White (2025) all struggled at the box office, but then were incredibly popular on Disney+ when they were finally released.
Did you see Thunderbolts* in theaters, or did you wait until the film dropped on Disney+? Do you think Disney needs to rethink its streaming strategy? Do you think Disney+ has had a negative impact on the studio’s box office performance? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
The post Marvel Box Office Flop Takes Disney+ By Storm! appeared first on Inside the Magic.
