Marvel Studios’ latest installment, *“Thunderbolts”**, has launched with a solid box office performance on its first day of release, going head-to-head with Ma Dong-seok’s new action fantasy film, Holy Night: Demon Hunters. As both titles hit theaters just in time for the early May holiday season, a tight box office race is underway.

According to data from April 30, Thunderbolts ranked second in ticket reservations, trailing just behind Holy Night. While Ma Dong-seok’s film currently leads, the margin is slim — indicating that Marvel’s antihero ensemble may still pull ahead as holiday moviegoers flock to theaters.

Thunderbolts has been a hot topic since it was first announced, largely due to its unique twist on the superhero genre. Rather than showcasing traditional heroes, the film brings together a group of notorious antiheroes — characters who previously appeared as villains or morally ambiguous figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The lineup includes Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).

Unlike previous Marvel entries that feature idealized, upright heroes, Thunderbolts centers around flawed individuals forced to cooperate. The story kicks off with Yelena taking on a mission under Valentina’s orders — not out of heroism, but as a way to fill an emotional void. Similar internal conflicts shape each character’s journey.

Red Guardian, a former Soviet super-soldier, jokingly refers to the group as a “slightly enhanced team,” highlighting the self-aware humor woven into the darker themes. Meanwhile, the name “Thunderbolts” — derived from Yelena’s childhood soccer team — becomes a fitting moniker for this motley crew.

The film is being praised for offering a fresh perspective within the MCU, exploring what happens when a team of misfits — plagued by past traumas, mistrust, and moral ambiguity — must come together to achieve something bigger than themselves.

Director Jake Schreier commented.

“The real fun of this film lies in seeing characters who don’t trust, like, or even understand each other slowly become a team. Only by learning to rely on one another can they save the world — and perhaps themselves.”

With its darker tone, flawed characters, and grounded emotional core, Thunderbolts is poised to deliver a new kind of Marvel experience — and could be a sleeper hit of the season if word-of-mouth continues to build.