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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has faced a string of box office disappointments in recent years, with Thunderbolts* being one of the most recent examples. Despite its star-studded cast and ensemble nature, the film failed to meet expectations and has left fans and critics alike scratching their heads. In this article, we’ll delve into the reasons behind Thunderbolts*’s box office disappointment.
10. Thunderbolts* Is A New, Untested Property In The MCU
The MCU has had success in the past with obscure teams at the box office. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies have all been hits, turning the ragtag group of characters into MCU fan favorites. However, Thunderbolts* tried to replicate that formula with a found family dynamic and obscure team. Unfortunately, just because it worked for Guardians of the Galaxy, it doesn’t mean that all MCU movies can follow the franchise’s success.
- Thunderbolts* was an untested property in the MCU.
- The team was not well-known, making it difficult for the film to connect with audiences.
9. Marvel Movies’ Box Offices Have Been On The Decline In Recent Years
The Multiverse Saga has been plagued by criticism, with many MCU movies failing to meet expectations at the box office. The Marvels became the MCU’s lowest-grossing movie ever with $199.7 million, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was the lowest-grossing movie of Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man trilogy with $476 million. Thunderbolts* and captain america: brave new World are the latest casualties of this trend.
| Movie | Grossing |
|---|---|
| The Marvels | $199.7 million |
| Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | $476 million |
| Thunderbolts* | $374.5 million |
| Captain America: Brave New World | $ |
8. Captain America: Brave New World Left Audiences Disappointed Months Before
Sam Wilson’s first Captain America movie was never going to be a massive hit. A new franchise always tends to have a smaller start, and Sam Wilson had been a supporting character for most of his time in the MCU, with comparisons being made to one of the franchise’s biggest stars, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers.
- Captain America: Brave New World had a middling box office and negative reviews from critics.
- The movie was released only three months before Thunderbolts*, which might have led to some fans avoiding the new MCU release.
7. The New Avengers Name Switch Came Too Late To Help The Box Office
Marvel Studios tried to innovate with marketing for Thunderbolts*. The first move was to add an asterisk to the movie’s title, leading to several theories about what it could mean. Thunderbolts*’s ending revealed that it was because the team’s name would change to the New Avengers.
- The name switch came too late to help the box office.
- The movie only confused the general audience with its marketing.
6. The MCU’s Recent Team Debut Movies All Underperformed
Marvel Studios used to have a better track record in team debut movies. Eternals and The Marvels were the MCU’s most recent attempts to kickstart new teams, but both of them were not successful. The Marvels is now the biggest box office bomb in MCU history, which is shocking when compared to the fact that Captain Marvel made over 1 billion.
- Eternals and The Marvels were not successful in their attempts to kickstart new teams.
- The Marvels is now the biggest box office bomb in MCU history.
5. Thunderbolts* Needed The Audience To Do MCU Homework
The movie pulled from many corners of the MCU, which risked becoming too much for the audience. Thunderbolts* tried to mitigate that problem with plenty of exposition in the first few minutes to explain who the characters were and their MCU storylines.
- Thunderbolts* tried to mitigate the problem with exposition.
- The audience had to do MCU homework to follow the story.
4. Thunderbolts* Hid Its Biggest Hero From The Trailers
Sentry, played by Lewis Pullman, was the most important character in the movie, but he was hidden from the trailers. The Void, played by Mark Ruffalo, got more screen time in the trailers, but there were no clear connections between the two for those who had never read the comics or were aware of who Sentry was.
- Sentry was hidden from the trailers.
- The Void got more screen time in the trailers.
3. Superhero Fatigue Has Hurt Both Marvel And DC
The genre has to fight a battle in the theaters, with too many superhero projects competing for audiences’ attention. Ticket prices have only grown, so fans are now pickier about which movies to choose. It seems like only the most well-known superheroes, like Spider-Man, are getting box-office hits nowadays.
- Superhero fatigue has hurt both Marvel and DC.
- Only the most well-known superheroes are getting box-office hits.
2. Marvel Taught Its Fans A Negative Lesson About Streaming
Marvel ended up teaching the audience that films would not take too long to arrive on streaming. The most egregious of such cases was when Black Widow was released on the same day in theaters and on Disney+. The MCU’s 2023 movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Marvels, were released on Disney+ 89 days after hitting theaters.
- Marvel taught its fans that films would not take too long to arrive on streaming.
- The wait was a turning point for the MCU.
1. Thunderbolts*’s Biggest MCU Movie Connections Were To Films That Underperformed/Are Not Remembered
The MCU’s long history can negatively impact new movies. Much like how Captain America: Brave New World’s reliance on The Incredible Hulk negatively impacted the movie, I feel like the same goes for Thunderbolts*. The team movie pulls multiple characters from Black Widow, which, despite featuring one of the MCU’s original Avengers, was not a memorable entry.