Marvel's Thunderbolts is projected to achieve a domestic opening weekend total between $70 million and $75 million, following an opening day gross of $31.5 million. While this figure is substantial, it falls on the lower end of typical Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) openings. In comparison, Captain America: Brave New World, released earlier this year, had an opening weekend of $88 million but ultimately underperformed with a total domestic gross of $200 million.
Despite its potentially modest opening, Thunderbolts may benefit from more favorable reviews and positive audience reception, which could enhance its longevity at the box office. The film currently holds a Cinema Score of A-, compared to the B- received by Brave New World. This suggests that audience engagement might be stronger for Thunderbolts, possibly helping it maintain momentum in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, Ryan Coogler's Sinners continues to perform well, grossing $9.5 million on its third Friday, marking a 27% decline from the previous week. The film is on track for a $33 million third weekend, even after losing some of its IMAX screens to Thunderbolts. If Sinners maintains its current performance level, it could soon surpass Brave New World to become the second-highest-grossing film domestically.
As of now, A Minecraft Movie holds the top domestic box office position, while the Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 leads globally. The sustained success of Sinners, an original R-rated film, without premium screen support, indicates its potential to be a significant success in 2025's box office landscape.