Watched it for a third time yesterday because my eldest daughter hadn't seen it and wanted to see it. Unlike the first two times I watched, the theater was packed this time around. I observed that the vibe of the theater was similar to peak MCU (2016 to 2019) where the audience would laugh, clap and react positively to whatever was happening on screen. They reacted enthusiastically to the second post-credits scene big reveal and gave a big applause at the very end. I can tell that many had a great time with the movie but more importantly, they were really excited for what's next in the MCU.
There was also this group of moviegoers at my back, with one of them loudly saying, "Yeees! This is what I needed. I'm going to start watching the other MCU films and TV shows I missed." He then started listing all the movies and shows he would start watching but I could only make out Loki and couldn't quite hear the others on his list. It sounded like this guy was a disgruntled fan and Thunderbolts revived his love for the MCU. I had a half a mind to talk to the guy and warned him there's a lot of stinkers in Phase 4 and 5, especially on the TV side.
During the second time I watched it with my friends (who are casual fans that stopped caring about the MCU after Endgame), two of them said that Thunderbolts felt like a good movie that did a great job of building towards something. Although I think Thunderbolts is a great standalone movie, it still did a phenomenal job of getting you excited for the future films.
All of this got me thinking. There's some good MCU films in Phase 4 and 5 like No Way Home, GotG 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine. We enjoyed them but they didn't really get audience pumped for what's next. No Way Home felt like the end of a chapter and didn't really teased what's next for Peter Parker. GotG 3 was a conclusion of James Gunn's family of space misfits and the original team disbanded at the end. D&W felt like a touching goodbye to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and the entire 20th Century Fox Marvel movies.
Now contrast that with Thunderbolts and you get so many intriguing plotlines for the future. One of the big and craziest development was that this ragtag team are now the New Avengers. As seen in the post-credits, the public thinks they are a joke or not legit. Then there's the new civil war brewing between Sam Wilson and Bucky over the Avengers name. What happens when Sam finally forms his own Avengers team? There's also Bob who's one of the most powerful beings and how will he come into play when Doomsday or Secret Wars comes along. Another big one was that post-credits teaser where the New Avengers was getting ready to intercept the newly arrived Fantastic Four. But the biggest question is - - - Will John Walker's taco shield finally be fixed?
I think one of the big reasons why the future for the MCU feels bright is that they finally have a road map that leads somewhere. The films in Phase Four and Five felt like standalone movies. And even if they teased something in the post-credits, it didn't lead anywhere because there were no plans for a sequel for these movies. They also tried to introduce the new big bad - Kang - for the Multiverse Saga but they failed miserably in building him up. Now that they are currently shooting Doomsday and Secret Wars back to back, it's easier for them to set everything up like every teaser has a purpose and assured that it will come to fruition very soon.
@heavyarms21 asked me if the MCU is back. I think the MCU is back (well, for the next two years at least). We have Fantastic Four: First Steps coming out this July, Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day on 2026 and Secret Wars on 2027. I have faith in the quality of the new F4. The trailers have been good and loved the retro 1960s setting. The Russos are back and helming Doomsday and Secret Wars. The Russos' track record outside the MCU might be horrendous, they have not made a bad MCU movie yet and are responsible for four of the best MCU films ever made. Same with the Marvel Studios' Spider-Man movies, they have not made a single bad Spider-Man movie yet and Brand New Day looks to be no exception.
Thunderbolts might not make a lot of money as it will probably struggle to even reach $400 million worldwide. Two reasons for its struggle at the box office. One is that not a lot of fans care about this lineup of C-list side characters from different movies. Two is that the Marvel brand has been tarnished as of late due to some bad products and a lot of fans have given up on the MCU. So even if they hear Thunderbolts is really good, it's not enough for them to buy a ticket.
For me, the MCU is in a rebuilding phase. It's like they're back to square one. They're back to Phase One where the some of the films would only gross $300 to $400+ million. Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (2011) grossed only $370 million and $449 million, respectively, but it helped build the overall brand and audience investment by being good films. Thunderbolts will eventually find an appreciative audience in home video and streaming. So even if it doesn't make money at the box office, it's a good stepping stone for Marvel to build its brand again.
