Earlier this week, we predicted that Thunderbolts would come in slightly below the $80 million the industry projected, with a weekend total unlikely to top $75 million. According to Deadline’s numbers, that’s precisely where the movie will likely debut, with them calling a $73-77 million weekend. That’s on the low end for Marvel, roughly on par with the pandemic-stricken titles Shang-Chi and Eternals. It’s lower than Captain America: Brave New World’s $88 million opening. That said, Thunderbolts seems like it could potentially turn a profit or at least break even, with it posting a budget in the $180 million region, which is thrifty for a Marvel movie. It should turn a nice profit if it can crack $500 million worldwide. Brave New World, which had a better opening, has only grossed $414 million and will undoubtedly be one of the rare Marvel movies to lose money.

So, what exactly is happening?...