Despite uncertainty in the superhero movie landscape, Thunderbolts* is performing modestly at the box office, a feat worth noting given the current climate. The film, considered a risky venture, has already surpassed several milestones, becoming one of the top 100 highest-grossing superhero movies globally. It achieved this by overtaking the box office numbers of the disastrous 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, which, directed by Josh Trank, earned only $167 million worldwide after a troubled production.

Trank's Fantastic Four, starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Tobey Kebbell, was critically panned, holding a mere 9% Rotten Tomatoes score. In contrast, Thunderbolts*, directed by Jake Schreier with a reported budget of $180 million, has garnered positive reviews and audience reception, boasting an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score. The cast includes Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Olga Kurylenko, Sebastian Stan, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Thunderbolts* has also surpassed the lifetime box office hauls of several DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films, including The Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman 1984. These DCEU films were released day-and-date on a streaming service, impacting their box office performance. As of now, Thunderbolts* is the 98th-highest-grossing superhero movie globally. The film's release date was May 2, 2025, with a runtime of 126 minutes, and it is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Recently, Thunderbolts*, now revealed to have the alternate title The New Avengers, has exceeded the earnings of multiple movies from Sony's Spider-Man Universe, including Morbius, which starred Jared Leto. Thunderbolts* features Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, whose performance has been particularly praised. Morbius, directed by Daniel Espinosa, grossed $73.86 million in the US and $93.5 million internationally, totaling $167.46 million worldwide.

Thunderbolts* surpassed Morbius’ US haul within its opening weekend, collecting $74.3 million and reaching $86.77 million after five days. Its overseas collection is $86.23 million, bringing its worldwide total to $173.0 million in just five days. This performance has also allowed Thunderbolts* to surpass the global earnings of Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter. Madame Web grossed $43.8 million in the US and $100.5 million worldwide, while Kraven the Hunter earned $25.02 million domestically and only $62.07 million globally. Thunderbolts* has managed to avoid being a significant failure, although its ultimate success remains to be seen.