Early box office tracking for Thunderbolts* has come in, and it might be the best case for the strange standard by which Marvel movies are judged. The current projections would be an impressive opening for any other franchise, but would rank in the bottom tier for the MCU. Thunderbolts* is one of the final films in Marvel's Phase 5, and in many ways, it is a loose sequel to Black Widow and the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The film has been getting positive buzz from fans with its clever marketing campaign, including a fun Super Bowl spot and also a clever A24-inspired "pure cinema" trailer. With the movie five weeks from release, how is it shaping up at the box office?