‘Thunderbolts’ kicks off moviegoing summer with $162 million worldwide

Marvel movie “Thunderbolts” brought in $162 million at theaters around the world over the weekend, providing a solid start to the summer movie season that is key to Hollywood’s year at the box office. “Thunderbolts,” the story of a ragtag group of heroes who unite to fight a supervillain, earned $76 million of its total [...]

[ Source: Reuters ] Marvel movie “Thunderbolts” brought in $162 million at theaters around the world over the weekend, providing a solid start to the summer movie season that is key to Hollywood’s year at the box office. “Thunderbolts,” the story of a ragtag group of heroes who unite to fight a supervillain, earned $76 million of its total in the United States and Canada, distributor Walt Disney (DIS.N).

The returns were in line with pre-weekend forecasts, though below the $88.8 million domestic opening of Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” in February. said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co.

It was a decent start, he said, for a movie with lesser-known characters that have played sidekicks in other Marvel stories. Starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, “Thunderbolts” sets the stage for Marvel’s July release “Fantastic Four” and next summer’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” “This is a prelude to something much bigger,” Bock said.

.