Thunderbolts* Is 'The First and Best Example' of Marvel’s New Focus on Quality Over Quantity, Disney Boss Bob Iger Says — but Will It Turn a Profit?

Disney brag Bob Iger has bigged up the precocious released Thunderbolts*, saying it’s “the archetypal and champion example” of Marvel’s caller committedness to prime implicit quantity.

Thunderbolts* topped the home container bureau with a $76 cardinal opening, a commencement that was seen arsenic coagulated alternatively than spectacular. For context, that’s up of Eternals ($71 million) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75 million), which were some considered flops, but beneath astir different MCU movies' opening hauls.

However, Thunderbolts* is going down good with audiences and critics. IGN’s Thunderbolts* reappraisal returned a 7/10. We said: “Thunderbolts* has, similar its sort-of-not-really antagonist, some a acheronian fractional and a airy half. But lone 1 of them is really beauteous large (hint: it’s the 1 that involves plumbing the depths of the characters’ worst memories).”

Disney volition beryllium hoping that affirmative connection of rima helps Thunderbolts* bask a amended tally astatine theaters than Captain America: Brave New World, which dropped disconnected dramatically. Indeed, Marvel movies person endured a torrid clip successful caller years isolated from the unusual blip, specified arsenic the cardinal dollar Deadpool & Wolverine movie.

Now, speaking during a fiscal call, Disney brag Bob Iger touched connected Marvel’s changed strategy, which targets less but amended films.

“We each cognize that successful our zeal to flood our streaming level with much content, that we turned to each of our originative engines, including Marvel, and had them nutrient a batch more,” Iger said.

“We’ve besides learned implicit clip that quantity does not needfully beget quality. And frankly, we’ve each admitted to ourselves that we mislaid a small absorption by making excessively much. By consolidating a spot and having Marvel absorption overmuch much connected their films, we judge that volition effect successful amended quality. I deliberation the archetypal and champion illustration is Thunderbolts*. I consciousness precise bully astir that.”

The large question for Disney volition beryllium whether Thunderbolts* turns a profit. Thunderbolts* made $162 cardinal astatine the planetary container bureau during motorboat weekend, down February’s Captain America: Brave New World ($192 million). According to Variety, Disney spent $180 cardinal to marque Thunderbolts* and different $100 cardinal to marketplace it. So Thunderbolts* needs to amusement staying powerfulness globally to crook a nett theatrically.

To that end, Marvel’s selling for the movie has seen it rebranded with a antithetic title, and the on-screen quality betwixt Sam Wilson’s Avengers and this caller superhero squad dragged into the existent world. Clearly, Marvel is hoping that involvement successful Thunderbolts* continues successful the coming months, arsenic it heads into the important motorboat of Phase 6 kickstarter The Fantastic Four: First Steps successful July.

Looking further ahead, 2026 volition spot some Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026) and Spider-Man 4 (July 31, 2026) release, with Avengers: Secret Wars acceptable for May 7, 2027.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].