While it marks a strong opening for the antihero ensemble film, it falls short of Marvel’s more dominant past performances, signaling a continued recalibration for the once-unbeatable franchise.

Positioned as a “great reset” for Marvel, “Thunderbolts” brings together misfit characters played by Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Sebastian Stan in a gritty, action-packed story directed by Jake Schreier.

The film has been met with critical acclaim, boasting an 88% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also gave it an “A—” CinemaScore, indicating solid word-of-mouth that could sustain its box office momentum.

The opening puts “Thunderbolts” in line with previous mid-tier Marvel openings, including Eternals ($71M) and Ant-Man and the Wasp ($75M). It also comes in the wake of last year’s blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, which launched with $211 million and ultimately grossed $1.34 billion globally.

“This is a great reset,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Marvel set the bar so high for so many years that a $76 million opening may seem to some like it should have done $100 million or something like that. But the strong reviews and fan response should hold it in good stead.”

“Thunderbolts” also brought in $86.1 million from international markets, pushing its global debut to over $160 million. With a production budget of around $180 million, the film’s long-term success will depend on its staying power amid a competitive box office.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ vampire period drama Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles, continued its surprising run.

In its third weekend, the film earned $33 million, down just 28%, bringing its domestic total to $179.7 million and its global gross to $236.7 million.

Warner Bros. also scored another hit with “A Minecraft Movie,” which claimed third place.

The video game adaptation added $13.7 million in its fifth weekend, lifting its North American earnings to nearly $400 million and global box office to $873.4 million.

A new “Block Party Edition” featuring sing-alongs and meme-driven screenings helped fuel continued audience enthusiasm, particularly among younger fans on TikTok.

Marvel’s next chapter, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to launch on July 25, aiming to build on “Thunderbolts’” momentum and rekindle the studio’s box office magic.

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