‘Thunderbolts*’ is No. 1 with an asterisk
Yes, the latest MCU movie opened atop the box office — but it was the lowest early May debut for the cinematic universe since 2010’s ‘Thor.’
Hello! Welcome to The Box Office Report for the weekend of May 2-4, 2025.
1. Thunderbolts*
Weekend gross: $76M
Total domestic gross: $76M
Last weekend: New release
Percent drop: NA
The first weekend in May used to be a huge moment for the MCU. Every Iron Man movie opened here. The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron did too. (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame got shifted back to the final weekends in April.) The second and third Guardians of the Galaxy movies opened over the first weekend in May. This was once the unofficial beginning of summer for the movies, and these MCU films often soared past the $100 million (or even $200 million mark).
Things have been different in the post-Endgame/post-pandemic era.
Thunderbolts* got this once coveted weekend and turned in a $76 million debut in North America. This is the lowest opener for the MCU over the first weekend in May since the original Thor debuted with $65.7 million way back in 2011.
This now makes three of the last four MCU movies to not break $100 their opening weekend. (Deadpool & Wolverine hit $211.4 million its first weekend, doing so on the strength of the Deadpool movies, the love of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and a lengthy drought between The Marvels in November 2023 and Deadpool & Wolverine last July.) The vibe has definitely shifted when it comes to the MCU.
Maybe we all need a break from the MCU, but with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, two more Avengers movies and the looming X-Men reboot on the horizon, when would Disney be OK with taking a breather?
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2. Sinners
Weekend gross: $33M
Total domestic gross: $179.7M
Last weekend: 1st
Percent drop: 28
Another fantastic weekend for Sinners. Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece fell just 28 percent from its second to third frames, bringing its domestic total up to $179.7 million. That puts Sinners at No. 3 on the 2025 chart, behind only A Minecraft Movie ($398.2 million) and Captain America: Brave New World ($200.4 million). Passing the $200 million mark should be easy work for this film.
