Box Office: 'Thunderbolts*' Earns $31.5 Million Friday

Comeback narrative notwithstanding, even a well-reviewed MCU summer kick-off flick opening on par with ‘Eternals’ and the first ‘Thor’ (back in 2011) isn’t precisely a pop-the-champagne circumstance.

After letting The Fall Guy be the official summer kick-off flick last year, the MCU is back in the starter pistol slot. And, to paraphrase beloved Welsh scholar Thomas Jones Woodward, it struck… like Thunderbolts*! Marvel’s latest topped the domestic box office on Friday with a $31.5 million gross.

This includes $11.5 million in Thursday previews, with the film mainly receiving positive reviews (88% fresh and 7.1/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and an A- from CinemaScore. Using the likes of Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75.8 million opening weekend from $33.7 million Friday, including a $11.5 million Thursday) and Eternals ($71.3 million/$30.8 million/$9.5 million), we can expect an over/under $72 million Fri-Sun domestic debut.

Even noting that this Friday is below the over/under $40 million opening days for Captain America: Brave New World this past February and Black Widow (which was concurrently available to rent on Disney+ for $30) in July of 2021, the narrative thus far has been that the Jake Schreier-directed ensemble flick represents a comeback or at least a step in the right direction for the MCU. However, as was inevitable, this is the MCU’s second-lowest summer kick-off opener, save for Thor ($65 million) in 2011. So… yay?