Joe Russo singles out Thunderbolts

Marvel’s problem right now is not just whether people liked the last movie. It’s whether they feel urgency to show up. That’s the nerve Joe Russo hit this week when he argued that spoiler culture has become so aggressive that fans are “anxious about engaging with anything,” then folded “Thunderbolts*” into a broader run of Marvel titles that didn’t convert attention into big theatrical turnout. (variety.com) ### What did Russo actually say? Russo’s basic point was that secrecy used to build anticipation, but now it can choke off normal fan conversation. He said audiences still want surprises, but the policing around spoilers has gone so far that people get nervous about trailers, clips, and even basic discussion before release. In the same conversation, he poi(variety.com)n though it wasn’t received like a flop creatively. (variety.com) ### Why single out “Thunderbolts*”? Because “Thunderbolts*” is the awkward case that makes the argument interesting. It was not rejected the way some recent Marvel titles were. Critics were broadly positive, Rotten Tomatoes logged an 88% score at release, and opening-night audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore. But the opening was still only $76 million dome(variety.com)estic starts. (variety.com) ### So was the movie a hit or not? Basically, it was a qualified win and a scale problem at the same time. Trade coverage treated the debut as a decent start for a team built from less bankable Marvel characters, closer to “Shang-Chi” and “Eternals” territory than to the franchise’s biggest launches. But the budget math was tougher — Variety pegged production at $(variety.com)equal “obvious theatrical success.” (variety.com) ### Why does that matter for Marvel? Because Marvel used to be able to brute-force attendance with the brand alone. That is the part that looks broken. “Thunderbolts*” seemed to do many of the right things — fresher ensemble, better reviews, stronger audience exits — and still landed below “Captain America: Brave New World” at opening weekend. Turns out goodwill is helping, but not restoring the old automatic event status. (editorial.rottentomatoes.com) ### Is spoiler anxiety really the main reason? Probably not the only one. Russo is naming a real shift in online behavior, but it fits into a bigger pile: franchise fatigue, too many interconnected releases, and a post-pandemic audience that saves theater trips for movies that feel unmissable. “Thunderbolts*” may have been respected, even liked, but “liked” is not the same as “drop everything and go opening weekend.” That’s the catch. (variety.com) ### Why are people revisiting the movie now? Because underperformance can create a second life online. Once the opening numbers settle, the conversation shifts from “is this huge?” to “wait, did people miss something?” That’s why “Thunderbolts*” is now getting framed by creators and fans as the Marvel movie that played better than its box office suggested — a reputation bump that helps the brand, even if it arrives after the ticket-selling window that matters most. (variety.com) ### What does this mean for the next films? Marvel now has to prove it can turn approval back into urgency. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” was already positioned as the next major test, and Russo’s own “Avengers: Doomsday” is the bigger one after that. If those films feel like events, “Thunderbolts*” starts to look like an early sign of stabilization. If they don’t, Russo’s comment will read less like a media critique and more like an accidental diagnosis. (variety.com) ### Bottom line? Russo singled out “Thunderbolts*” because it exposes Marvel’s real issue. The studio can still make a movie people approve of. But getting those people to show up in force — and show up fast — is now the harder trick.