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Thunderbolts* Box-Office Projections Improved Before Its May 2025 Release

Pre-release estimates for Thunderbolts* became narrower and somewhat more encouraging in late April 2025, before the film opened in U.S. theaters on May 2.
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Thunderbolts*’s pre-release domestic outlook became more encouraging and more specific in late April 2025. Boxoffice Pro’s April 4 forecast projected a $65 million–$85 million U.S. opening weekend; an April 29 report of THR-cited tracking narrowed the domestic estimate to $70 million–$73 million. Both were estimates published before the film opened in U.S. theaters on May 2, not box-office results.

What are the Thunderbolts* box office projections?

The clearest published pre-release figures moved from a broad domestic opening-weekend forecast to a narrower tracking range. The estimates below refer to different reporting dates and, in one case, a different geography or measurement window.

Publication date Publisher or attributed source Geography and window Estimate type Figure
April 4, 2025 Boxoffice Pro Domestic opening weekend Long-range forecast $65 million–$85 million
April 25, 2025 Shawn Robbins, Box Office Theory Domestic Thursday previews Potential modeled preview figure, not a reported result $10 million
April 29, 2025 ComingSoon, relaying THR-cited tracking Domestic opening Reported tracking estimate $70 million–$73 million
April 29, 2025 ComingSoon, relaying THR-cited tracking International opening Reported tracking estimate $160 million–$175 million

The international projection is a separate geography, not another domestic opening-weekend range. ComingSoon attributed both updated ranges to THR-cited tracking; its report does not provide the underlying methodology or name a forecaster, so the figures should be treated as reported tracking rather than an independently verified model.

Did the projections change before release?

Yes. Boxoffice Pro’s April 4 long-range domestic forecast had a $20 million spread between its low and high ends. By April 29, the reported domestic tracking range was much tighter and sat within the earlier forecast, pointing to a more focused and somewhat more encouraging expectation. The difference reflects changing estimates over time, not a guarantee that the final opening would land inside either range.

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Why the early forecast was cautious

Boxoffice Pro identified a more competitive first month than Captain America: Brave New World had faced, the possibility that Thunderbolts* would lose premium-format access after its opening weekend, and the importance of word of mouth in reaching less-casual Marvel Cinematic Universe viewers. It also noted a potential advantage: some viewers already knew the characters.

What late-April signals suggested

On April 25, Robbins described early social-media reactions after the selected critics’ embargo lifted as encouraging and as support for recent tracking. He expected a broader critic sample on April 29 and modeled a potential $10 million domestic Thursday preview. That figure was a model indication, not a reported preview result; Robbins also cautioned that tracking ranges were not final forecasts and could change with market conditions.

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How did the opening compare with the forecasts?

Thunderbolts* was scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025. On May 4, the Associated Press reported an estimated $76 million domestic opening. That post-release estimate falls within Boxoffice Pro’s earlier $65 million–$85 million range, but above the $70 million–$73 million late-April tracking range. It was not information available to forecasters before release.

The AP also reported strong reviews and an A- CinemaScore at the time. Those post-opening details offer context for the reception, but they should not be confused with the assumptions behind the earlier projections.

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Why the estimates remained uncertain

A forecast is a snapshot, and the closer-to-release tracking still depended on factors that could shift audience turnout. In this case, the contemporary reports highlighted several relevant variables:

  • Word of mouth: Boxoffice Pro saw it as important to attracting less-casual MCU viewers; the April 25 report cited early social-media reactions.
  • Competition: Boxoffice Pro pointed to a more competitive first month than the one faced by Captain America: Brave New World.
  • Screen access: The April 4 forecast raised the possibility of losing premium-format availability after opening weekend.
  • Audience awareness: Familiarity with some of the characters could help, while the forecast treated it as only one factor among several.

These reports describe how expectations shifted before the premiere; they do not establish which single factor determined the eventual opening.

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