Marvel Studios is preparing for the highly anticipated release of Thunderbolts on May 2, which will mark the beginning of the summer film season.  The company hopes to create early buzz for the 36th movie in the MCU by starting ticket pre-sales on april 7.
 
The offering, which was written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo and directed by Jake Schreier, includes an ensemble cast that includes, among others, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  Thunderbolts centers on a band of antiheroes who must band together to take on a lethal task.


The development of Thunderbolts was first hinted at by Marvel in 2021, and the official announcement was made in june 2022.  By late 2022, the cast was complete, and in early 2023, Lee Sung Jin was brought on board to revise the script.  Filming finally took place between february and june 2024 at a number of locations, including Atlanta, Utah, and Kuala Lumpur, after being delayed by Hollywood's labor strikes.
 
The movie has been heavily promoted, and at the just-finished CinemaCon, behind-the-scenes featurettes were released.  With the hollywood box office experiencing a sluggish run as of now, it raises the question of whether Thunderbolts can turn things around.
 

Several well-known letdowns have occurred in the first quarter of 2025, including Mickey 17, Snow White, and Captain America: Brave New World.  Hollywood is now hoping for some momentum with its summer schedule.
 
Given that other recent MCU productions have failed to even break even in theaters, Thunderbolts will need to overcome superhero genre fatigue.


 
 
 In addition to Thunderbolts, this summer's schedule features big-budget blockbusters like Apple's Formula 1 racing thriller F1, Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch, and Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning.  The april 4 release of a Minecraft movie is also being eagerly monitored to see if it may offer exhibitors some respite before the sunny season.
 
 

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