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Box Office: Thunderbolts aka The New Avengers falls short of Brave New World’s 3-week total; comparison inside
Despite a slow start at the box office, Thunderbolts: The New Avengers could become Marvel’s most pivotal Phase Five entry, reshaping the MCU with a bold narrative shift.
Despite its solid critical reception and ensemble cast, Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, now retitled Thunderbolts: The New Avengers, is trailing behind Captain America: Brave New World in the domestic box office race. After three weeks in theaters, Thunderbolts has earned an estimated USD 155 million in the US, USD 8 million short of where Brave New World stood at the same point earlier this year.
Directed by Jake Schreier and featuring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among others, Thunderbolts brings together a team of antiheroes for a high-stakes mission. Originally teased as Marvel’s Suicide Squad-style entry, the film concludes with the team being rebranded as The New Avengers — a major twist that cements its narrative significance within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
While the film hasn’t been a breakout box office hit, its performance is far from a flop. With a global total of USD 326.3 million and positive reviews, it ranks as the fifth highest-grossing film of 2025 so far. Its strong international reception has helped counterbalance its slower-than-expected growth in North America, positioning the film as a respectable, if not dominant, installment in Phase Five.
In comparison, Captain America: Brave New World, starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, had a stronger start, eventually climbing to USD 415 million globally. Though it benefited from stronger brand recognition and featured the return of legacy characters, the film received mixed reviews and struggled with audience engagement over time.
What sets Thunderbolts apart is its strategic role in shaping the MCU’s future. With the end credits revealing the full title as Thunderbolts: The New Avengers, Marvel has signaled the start of a new saga, potentially setting up crossovers and fresh team dynamics. The franchise’s pivot from a standalone antihero narrative to a broader Avengers-oriented storyline marks a clear creative investment in long-term storytelling.
Meanwhile, the future of the Captain America franchise remains uncertain. With mixed critical reception and diminishing returns, Marvel may reconsider its direction moving forward.
For now, Thunderbolts may not be Marvel’s biggest box office win, but it could be its most crucial Phase Five entry, the true beginning of the New Avengers era.
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