Thunderbolts* Test Screening Teases a Huge Hit for Marvel Studios

A recent test screening for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thunderbolts* has reportedly generated remarkably positive feedback, potentially signaling a much-needed success for the struggling franchise. According to a Reddit user who claims to have attended a screening near Burbank approximately six weeks ago, audience members were thoroughly impressed with the anti-hero team-up, praising its character development, team dynamics, and innovative handling of the powerful Sentry/Void (Lewis Pullman) storyline. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response comes at a critical juncture for Marvel Studios, which has faced diminishing box office returns and waning audience interest following several underwhelming releases, most notably Captain America: Brave New World, which has underperformed significantly since its February debut.

“I won’t say too much but I think if you’re feeling jaded by the ‘capesh-t’ genre because they’re all feeling the same, I would check this one out,” wrote Reddit user Spiritual-Smoke-4605. “The journey it takes the characters on is actually interesting, the team dynamic is great (not unlike Guardians of the Galaxy) and the way Sentry/Void is executed into the story is really fascinating.” This particular source has gained credibility within online communities for accurately predicting Captain America: Brave New World‘s lukewarm critical reception before its release, lending weight to their current assessment of Thunderbolts*.

[RELATED: The Thunderbolts Aren’t The Suicide Squad (And Shouldn’t Be Compared to Them)]

“I expect this one to leg out well into the following weeks after it drops,” the Reddit user continued, expressing confidence in the film’s long-term box office potential. “I see the Tomatometer being above 90% for critics and audiences (of course, I could be wrong), but the audience I was with seemed to love it and couldn’t stop talking about it highly after the screening.” Such enthusiastic early reactions offer a glimmer of hope for a franchise that has struggled to maintain its cultural dominance in recent years, suggesting that Thunderbolts* could potentially reverse Marvel’s concerning box office trends through strong word-of-mouth promotion.

How Thunderbolts* Could Become Marvel’s New Sleeper Hit

The promising test screening reactions come amid troubling forecasts for Thunderbolts*, with early industry projections estimating an opening weekend between $65-85 million domestically. While these figures would constitute a solid opening for most films, they represent a concerning outlook for a production carrying a reported $200 million budget, especially following the disappointing performance of Captain America: Brave New World, which has struggled to reach $200 million domestically despite eight weeks in theaters and a recognizable franchise name.

Captain America: Brave New World is the fourth lowest-grossing MCU film domestically, surpassing only 2015’s Ant-Man ($180 million), 2011’s Thor ($181 million), and 2021’s pandemic-affected Black Widow ($183 million). The critical reception proved equally disappointing, with the film hovering around 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. These metrics underscore the urgent need for Marvel to recapture audience enthusiasm and critical acclaim with its upcoming releases, placing enormous pressure on Thunderbolts to deliver both commercially and creatively.

The parallels to Marvel’s first Guardians of the Galaxy film, which the test screening attendee explicitly mentioned, offer an interesting historical comparison. That 2014 release faced similar pre-release skepticism, with many industry analysts questioning whether audiences would embrace a relatively unknown property featuring a talking raccoon and a sentient tree. Despite these concerns, the film opened to $94.3 million domestically before demonstrating remarkable staying power, ultimately grossing $333.7 million domestically and $772.8 million worldwide, powered by extraordinary word-of-mouth and critical acclaim.

The significant stakes are magnified by Thunderbolts*’ confirmed connections to 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, with most of the main cast already announced to reprise their roles in the Multiverse Saga’s penultimate chapter. Marvel’s recent five-hour livestream reveal confirmed that even Pullman’s Sentry will feature in the ensemble blockbuster alongside Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, creating a direct narrative bridge between the two productions. This connectivity transforms Thunderbolts* from a potentially skippable side story into essential viewing that establishes character arcs and relationships that will presumably pay off in the larger saga.

Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2nd.

Would you be willing to give Marvel another chance with Thunderbolts*? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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