The move to streaming comes over three months after Thunderbolts* originally released in theaters, and two months after the film became available on VOD. The MCU flick has grossed around $380 million globally, trailing behind the new DCU’s Superman, the current highest-grossing superhero movie of the year, and fellow MCU projects Fantastic Four: First Steps and Captain America: Brave New World.
While not necessarily a box office giant, Thunderbolts* seemed more about restoring faith in the MCU’s characters and storytelling. Critic Clint Gage’s review of Thunderbolts* for IGN describes the movie as “the most solid the sacred timeline has felt in a little while, providing an adventure befitting its overlooked title characters.”
When asked about the box office decline, Marvel head Kevin Feige praised the success of Superman as evidence against “superhero fatigue.” More pointedly, he argues that Thunderbolts* struggled because "nobody knew that title and many of those characters were from a [TV] show." It would be interesting to see the MCU, which was long prized for its interconnectedness, start to veer away from the level of output that starts to feel like homework.
Not Subscribed? Here’s the Disney+ Lowdown
Standalone Disney+ subscriptions start at $9.99, and I think it’s safe to say the service is leading the charge on streaming bundles. The streamer has announced that it will merge the Hulu library into its app in 2026, and recently launched a new bundle package with ESPN Unlimited. This new bundle is in addition to the Hulu, HBO Max, and ESPN Select (prev. known as ESPN+) options. Otherwise, Disney+ doesn't offer it's own free trial, but you can get access to the service through a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV.
Top Ukrainian officials to meet US delegation this week amid proposed peace talks, Bloomberg reports