Thunderbolts* Gets Disney+ Release Date (and It’s Soon)

After Marvel’s Thunderbolts* had an underwhelming box office run earlier this summer, Disney is hoping the film can become a hit on home media to compensate for its commercial performance. It’s now been confirmed when Thunderbolts* will be available to stream on Disney+, and fortunately, fans don’t have to wait much longer to stream it. Today, it was announced that Thunderbolts* will premiere on the service on Wednesday, August 27th. That is a little over three months after it debuted in theaters — roughly the same length of time it took Captain America: Brave New World to hit Disney+ this year.

Thunderbolts* has actually been available on various home media formats for a while now. It hit PVOD platforms on July 1, with physical copies following July 29th. This marks the first time the film will be available to stream for “free” at home — all it costs is your regular Disney+ subscription rate, making this a more appealing option for some people than paying extra for a digital download.

Kicking off the summer movie season in early May, Thunderbolts* was seen as a return to form for Marvel from a critical perspective. It earned positive reviews, with many people praising the performances of the cast (particularly Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova) and the film’s handling of heavy, emotional themes. Unfortunately, the word of mouth didn’t help Thunderbolts* much at the box office. After a soft opening weekend, the movie grossed $382.4 million worldwide. Its performance could change how Marvel handles its film slate moving forward.

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Fortunately, Thunderbolts* has already proven to be a draw in the home media market. Shortly after hitting PVOD in July, the film soared to the top of the charts on the Amazon and Apple storefronts. It’s encouraging for Marvel that more people are checking Thunderbolts* out now; the main characters are all set to return in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, and there are rumors the fan-favorite Yelena could have a larger role. Despite their uneven box office fate, the New Avengers have a big part to play in the Multiverse Saga.

Captain America: Brave New World, which earned a decidedly more mixed critical reception when compared to Thunderbolts*, became a major hit on Disney+ earlier this year. It stands reason to believe the Certified Fresh Thunderbolts* will climb up the Disney+ charts as well. The positive response should draw more people to it once it becomes even easier to watch it at home.

Marvel is not the box office powerhouse it once was, but the streaming figures for Brave New World and Thunderbolts* show audiences are still interested in the franchise. In the post-pandemic landscape, people have become accustomed to shorter theatrical windows and no longer feel a need to rush to the theater to see the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe release. Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday seem like candidates to bring Marvel back to the $1 billion threshold, but the studio is looking for ways to keep production costs in check on future movies. That way, their films will be hits in theaters and on streaming instead of using the latter to make up for the former.