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Thunderbolts* Shortfall Prompts MCU to Shift Toward Fewer, Big-Budget Franchises

Marvel Studios will reduce its annual slate to focus on marquee franchises with scaled-down budgets after Thunderbolts* failed to break even despite strong reviews.

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Superman (played by Henry Cavill), stands heroically in the streets of Smallville Kansas in Man of Steel.

Overview

  • Thunderbolts* generated about $377 million worldwide against a combined $280 million production and marketing budget but fell short of the $425 million needed to break even.
  • The film’s underperformance, despite an 88 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, marked one of the MCU’s weakest box office runs and led to the loss of IMAX locations.
  • Since 2020 only six of thirteen MCU releases have topped $500 million, highlighting a decline in the franchise’s commercial consistency.
  • Marvel Studios plans to trim its annual release slate and prioritize upcoming tentpoles such as Avengers: Doomsday in 2026 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
  • Executives and analysts expect the studio to cut production costs and adopt a go-big-or-go-home approach centered on marquee characters.