Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Debuts on Disney+ Today Following Disappointing Box Office Run

Marvel Studios’ latest superhero film “Thunderbolts*” made its streaming debut on Disney+ today, August 27, 2025, marking a swift transition from theaters to home viewing after the film struggled to find its audience during its theatrical release.

Streaming Release Offers Second Chance for Underperforming MCU Film

The antihero team-up film, which was later rebranded as “The New Avengers,” became available to Disney+ subscribers at midnight ET today, less than four months after its May 2 theatrical premiere. This rapid move to streaming represents Disney’s strategy to salvage value from one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most disappointing box office performers.

During its theatrical run, “Thunderbolts*” managed to gross only $382.4 million worldwide, with $190.3 million coming from domestic markets and $192.2 million internationally. The film’s performance placed it among the lowest-grossing MCU entries, with industry publication Variety reporting that it needed an “unachievable” $425 million worldwide to break even against its estimated $180-200 million production budget.

Critical Reception Contrasts with Commercial Performance

Despite its commercial struggles, “Thunderbolts*” received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences who did see the film. Critics praised director Jake Schreier’s work, calling it “one of the best Marvel movies of all time” and “one of the most enjoyable, fun, and genuinely moving MCU films”. USA Today’s Brian Truitt awarded the film three out of four stars, noting it as “one of the more commendable recent entries for a cinematic universe that has been experiencing creative instability”.

The film follows an unconventional team of antiheroes including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). After finding themselves trapped by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these “disillusioned castoffs” must embark on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront their dark pasts.

Strategic Rebranding and Future MCU Implications

One of the film’s most significant revelations came in its ending, where the Thunderbolts team is rebranded as “The New Avengers.” This plot twist led Marvel Studios to officially retitle the film in post-release marketing, with the studio announcing the change on social media in early May. The New Avengers lineup, spontaneously announced by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, includes the core Thunderbolts members plus Sentry/Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman).

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige attributed the film’s poor box office performance to audience confusion, suggesting that viewers believed they needed to watch the MCU’s Disney+ series to understand the film. “The studio should have better explained that this was not necessary,” Feige acknowledged, highlighting ongoing challenges in managing the expansive MCU narrative across multiple platforms.

Looking Forward

The New Avengers team introduced in “Thunderbolts*” will return in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is currently filming in London. This continuation suggests that despite the film’s commercial disappointment, Marvel Studios remains committed to the characters and storylines established in the project.

The quick transition to Disney+ represents a growing trend for underperforming MCU films, as the studio seeks to boost engagement on its streaming platform and salvage merchandise sales. For subscribers, today’s release offers an opportunity to experience what critics have called a surprisingly moving exploration of redemption and mental health within the superhero genre.