Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” tops box office for second weekend as antihero twist fuels interest

Marvel’s latest superhero film Thunderbolts maintained its stronghold at the North American box office, leading for a second consecutive weekend with a $33 million haul, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the film saw a 55 percent dip from its debut—an encouraging figure compared to recent Marvel releases. Entertainment outlet Variety noted the hold was “far better” than many recent Marvel entries.

To boost momentum heading into the weekend, Marvel clarified that the asterisk in the title signals a major twist: the ragtag team of antiheroes will evolve into The New Avengers. The group is also set to return in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, a film Disney hopes will match the massive success of previous Avengers blockbusters.

In second place, Warner Bros.’ period vampire thriller Sinners added $21.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $180 million. Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, the film continues to draw audiences thanks to strong reviews.

A Minecraft Movie remained in third, earning $8 million over the weekend and pushing its domestic earnings past $400 million. The global total now exceeds $900 million, reinforcing the success of recent video game-to-film adaptations. The live-action movie features Jack Black and Jason Momoa in leading roles, AFP reports.

Amazon MGM Studios’ The Accountant 2, starring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, came in fourth with $6.1 million. Affleck reprises his role as a neurodivergent math genius with a criminal past, while Bernthal plays his deadly brother.

Rounding out the top five was indie horror debut Clown in a Cornfield, earning $3.7 million. “This is a solid opening for an indie horror film, particularly for a micro-budget production,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.