Marvel’s latest ensemble film Thunderbolts, led by Florence Pugh and directed by Jake Schreier, has made a thunderous debut with a $31.5 million haul from Friday and preview screenings across 4,330 theaters. This strong start sets the stage for a projected domestic opening weekend total of $70–$75 million.

While the numbers are impressive, they still trail behind previous Marvel benchmarks, such as Black Widow’s $80 million debut and Guardians of the Galaxy’s $94 million opening. Nonetheless, Thunderbolts marks a solid theatrical performance, especially in a year where Marvel faces growing scrutiny over its box office dominance.

With a star-studded cast including Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Thunderbolts brings together a gritty team of anti-heroes in a darker take on Marvel storytelling. The film’s performance will be closely watched to see if it gains momentum from fan reception and word of mouth in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s original film Sinners continues to perform well in its second week, despite losing IMAX screens to Thunderbolts. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, pulled in $9.5 million on Friday, bringing its total to an impressive $54.5 million so far, driven by critical acclaim and strong audience buzz.