Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” Shocks US Box Office: What’s the Opening Score?

U.S. Box Office: May 2 – May 4, 2025

1 – Thunderbolts*: $76,000,000 (New)

2 – Sinners: $33,000,000 (Total: $179,728,722)

3 – Minecraft: $13,700,000 (Total: $398,209,479)

4 – Mr. Wolff 2: $9,468,181 (Total: $41,151,103)

5 – Until Dawn: $3,800,000 (Total: $14,358,890)

6 – The Amateur: $1,800,000 (Total: $36,939,680)

7 – The King of Kings: $1,658,234 (Total: $57,665,661)

8 – Warfare: $1,275,395 (Total: $24,086,697)

9 – HIT – The 3rd Case: $955,000 (New)

10 – The Surfer: $674,560 (New)

Key Takeaways

The anticipated change in leadership has occurred. After three consecutive weeks at the top of the American box office, “Sinners” has passed the baton to Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*”, which comfortably secured about $76 million in ticket sales in its debut weekend, as reported this Sunday, May 4. This is a strong start for the blockbuster season but falls short of the $88.9 million earned by “Captain America: Brave New World,” which opened in fewer theaters in February this year.

The difference may be attributed to “Brave New World” featuring an established hero and the buzz around seeing Harrison Ford turn into the Red Hulk, whereas “Thunderbolts*” (even though crucial for the MCU’s next phases) includes more secondary characters and thus, potentially less iconic, which might limit its initial draw. Nonetheless, audiences seem more excited about Jake Schreier’s film, which could benefit from positive word-of-mouth and end its run with a substantial total, having already amassed $162 million globally.

Despite being outperformed, “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, continues to impress with an additional $33 million and an impressive hold (-27.8% from the previous weekend), poised to surpass $200 million domestically while industry experts forecast a global finish over $350 million. This shows a strong performance for an original film, proving that success isn’t solely dependent on established franchises.

Meanwhile, nearly every other film in the Top 10, from “Warfare” to “Mr. Wolff 2,” including “The Amateur” and “Until Dawn,” experienced sharp declines, with losses ranging from 50% to 61% compared to last week. However, “Minecraft,” back in third place, bucks this trend by only dropping 39.7% in revenue after a month in U.S. theaters.

While it remains to be seen if it will cross the billion-dollar mark worldwide (currently at $873.4 million), it solidifies its position as the biggest success of 2025 in the U.S., soon to exceed $400 million and matching the earnings of “Frozen.”

Figures: Box-Office Mojo