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Box Office: Thunderbolts crosses USD 170M domestically, surpassing Eternals despite losing screens
Thunderbolts tops Eternals at the US box office with USD 171.4M. Now rebranded as The New Avengers, it’s set to surpass other MCU titles like The First Avenger and Thor.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts has officially topped Eternals at the US box office, marking a significant milestone over the Memorial Day weekend. With a current domestic total of USD 171.4 million, the ensemble superhero film has surpassed the USD 164.9 million lifetime gross of Eternals despite a noticeable drop in theater count and fierce competition from new releases.
Now marketed as The New Avengers following a post-credit reveal, Thunderbolts earned USD 9.2 million in its fourth 3-day weekend. The Florence Pugh-led action film dropped 44.8 percent from the previous weekend, with a loss of 780 theaters on Friday amid a crowded summer box office. Next weekend, the film is expected to overtake the US totals of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor, which earned USD 176.7 million and USD 181 million, respectively, further cementing its success among early MCU titles.
Despite the strong run, the film is unlikely to hit the coveted USD 200 million domestic mark, but a final US total of around USD 195 million appears locked in. Globally, Thunderbolts has already grossed USD 355 million, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025 so far.
Directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Cao, Thunderbolts was released in the US on May 2 as the final entry in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The star-studded cast includes Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and more alongside Pugh, portraying a team of antiheroes forced into an uneasy alliance on a mission that could lead to their redemption.
Thunderbolts’ production faced delays due to the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes, leading to some creative and casting changes. Filming eventually took place from February to June 2024 in Atlanta, Utah, and Kuala Lumpur.
The film premiered in London on April 22 before its US release and received positive reviews for its surprising emotional core, grounded tone, and, of course, the ensemble performance. The asterisk in the title — originally mysterious — was revealed to stand for The New Avengers, signifying the rebranding of the team by the film’s end. Marvel Studios has since shifted its promotional strategy accordingly.
As Thunderbolts continues its run, it stands as both a commercial success and a pivotal point for the MCU’s evolving future narrative.
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