‘Thunderbolts’ kicks off the summer movie season with $76 million at the box office

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NEW YORK (AP) — Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts” opened with $76 million in domestic ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, kicking off the summer box office with a solid No. 1 debut that fell shy of Marvel’s more spectacular launches.

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All eyes had been on whether “Thunderbolts” — a team-up of antihero rejects similar to “Avengers” — could restore the Walt Disney Co. superhero factory to the kind of box office performance the studio once enjoyed so regularly. The results — similar to the debuts of “The Eternals” ($71 million) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” ($75 million) — suggested Marvel’s malaise won’t be so easy to snap out of.

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Some had expected a bigger opening for “Thunderbolts” because of the film’s good word-of-mouth. Unlike most recent MCU entries, reviews (88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) have been excellent for “Thunderbolts,” directed by Jake Schreier and starring Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Sebastian Stan. Audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore.

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That kind of response should power the movie to strong business in the coming weeks. Though bigger MCU films — including 2024’s “Deadpool vs. Wolverine” (with a $211 million opening on the way to $1.34 billion worldwide) — have monopolized movie screens immediately, “Thunderbolts” could gather steam more steadily. Or, it could go down as another example of Marvel struggling to rekindle its golden touch.

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Marvel spent about $180 million to produced the movie, which added $86.1 million in overseas sales. The film also teases the next MCU chapter, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” due out July 25.

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“Marvel set the bar so high for so many years that a $76 million opening may seem to some like it should have done $100 million or something like that,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “This is a great reset. They’re hitting the reset with ‘Thunderbolts.” The great reviews and the word-of-mouth should hold it (in) good stead.”

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The Walt Disney Co. also might not have expected such stout competition from Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” The Warner Bros. release, which had led the box office the last two weeks, continued to hold remarkably well. In its third week, it grossed $33 million, a dip of only 28%.

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“Sinners,” a 1932-set vampire movie about bootlegging brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown, has proven a spring sensation in theaters. It has collected $179.7 million domestically and $236.7 million globally thus far.

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Warner Bros. also nabbed third place with “A Minecraft Movie,” the smash-hit video game adaptation. In its fifth weekend, it rung up another $13.7 million to bring its North American gross to nearly $400 million. Worldwide, it has totaled $873.4 million. Warner Bros. added “Block Party Edition” screenings over the weekend for a sing-along and “meme-along” experience. The film has seen some rowdy screenings from TikTok-inspired moviegoers.

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More than three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set, the Alec Baldwin western “Rust” arrived in theaters. Its release brought some closure to one of Hollywood’s greatest tragedies. Distributor Falling Forward Films didn’t report box office, but estimates suggested “Rust” grossed approximately $25,000 in 115 theaters.