Why Did ‘Thunderbolts’ Flop?

Thunderbolts* was Marvel’s best-reviewed movies in years, and its cast included fan favorites like Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour. All signs pointed to it kickstarting a comeback story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But that’s not what happened. Instead, the film has struggled at the box office with one trade going so far as to say it “cratered” in theaters. Indeed, it’s one of the lowest-grossing films in the entire history of the MCU, and it even earned about $40 million less than Captain America: Brave New World, a movie that got terrible reviews that seemingly very few people liked.

So what went wrong? That’s the subject of our latest Marvel video, as we break down the box-office reception of Thunderbolts*, Captain America: Brave New World, and other recent Marvel movies. Is superhero fatigue getting worse? Is Marvel in trouble? Or will Avengers: Doomsday turn things around? Watch the video below for more:

READ MORE: The Weirdest Marvel Comics Ever Published

If you liked that video on why Marvel’s Thunderbolts flopped, check out more of our videos below, including one on Ultron’s vision, and how he saw Tony Stark becoming Doctor Doom, one on whether Chris Evans is secretly in Avengers: Doomsday, and one on the original plan for Madame Web and why it was so much better than what Sony actually made. Plus, there’s tons more videos over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to open in theaters on December 18, 2026.

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