Disney CEO Bob Iger Hails ‘Thunderbolts*’ as the Perfect Start for Marvel’s Leap Back to Cinematic Glory

Published 05/07/2025, 1:33 PM EDT

After Thunderbolts* have dropped in our nearest theatres since last Friday, the revenue thunder at the box office refuses to settle. The movie has arrived as the newest MCU royalty, taking its massive fan base back to the days of previous glory, after a couple of rare hits along its trip down the quality lane. And it is not just the audience, but the makers are also acknowledging this hard-hitting fact.

After its latest impressive success, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger showered praises on the movie while sinking his teeth into some bitter truth that has been haunting the studios and Marvel in the recent past.

Disney to focus on quality not quantity after Thunderbolts* success

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On Wednesday, during an investor call, Bob Iger admitted that Thunderbolts*, now known as The New Avengers, is the “first and best example” of the studio’s new priority to make better movies. Variety reports that he also admitted that in their zeal to flood the streaming platform with more content, the studios turned to all their creative engines, including Marvel, and had them produce a lot more content, just for the sake of it. But Thunderbolt*'s opening weekend collection of $76 million, paired with critical appraisal, taught them some valuable lessons.

During the call, Iger also acknowledged that Disney has learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality. And realised within themselves that they lost little focus by making too much. But they are willing to mend their mistakes by consolidating a bit and having Marvel focus much more on their films, which will eventually result in better quality. And Thunderbolts* serves as its perfect starter.

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The movie, with its star-studded ensemble cast and a newly introduced name after release, has arrived as no less than an early Christmas blessing for Marvel and MCU, which has visibly struggled with previous releases since 2020.

Marvel tough fight to maintain footing with recent releases

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was once the king of superhero movies, which saw its phenomenal ending with Avengers: Endgame. But as the decade took a turn, so did Marvel’s quality and revenue. With releases like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, and Captain America: Brave New World took their ship to deep waters, selective hits like Deadpool & Wolverine, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness became its limited saving grace.

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But Thunderbolts* has once again waved their flag high and is reminding the audience of how amazing this superhero universe used to be. It has boosted Disney’s confidence, which has other big flicks like Zootopia 2, Marvel's Fantastic Four: The First Steps, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, slated for this year. 

Did You Know the ‘Thunderbolts*’ Post-Credit Scene Was Done Just Weeks Before the Release? Courtesy, the Russo Brothers

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What are your thoughts on Thunderbolt*'s massive success and Disney's U-turn of focusing on quality after this? Tell us below.

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Shafaque Taha

171 articles

Shafaque Taha has been writing for more than half a decade now, and her passion for literature of any form is an early life habit. With more than 700 published articles in the sportainment, she is now armed with vigor to bring the same enthusiasm as an Entertainment Writer at Netflix Junkie. For her, entertainment provides a liberty to further explore the humanities with the forum of music and shows/movies in a world of ever-evolving art.

Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra

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