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The Sunday Post*
Greg Arnold
May 04, 2025
How is everyone feeling tonight? I am still riding high after seeing Thunderbolts* on Thursday! When you’ve invested so much time into a franchise that is now old enough to vote, there is something exhilarating about finding out it can still wow you. Thunderbolts* vaulted immediately into the upper tier of the entire MCU. Don’t just take my word for it- the movie is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 88% with a 94% verified hot audience score. I will have my review of the film published this week for Friends From Work. You can also check out Robby & Kyle’s initial spoiler-filled reactions here.
At the box office, Thunderbolts* beat initial industry projections for the weekend, making over $76 million domestically and pulling in another $86 million from other territories. Strong reviews and word-of-mouth should continue to propel the movie in the coming weeks.
Robby, Kyle, and loyal listener Alex at Austin Books & Comics
Kyle and Robby were also at Austin Books & Comics yesterday, meeting fans and celebrating Free Comic Book Day. They even found the time to record a new Thunderbolts* reflection pod that will come out later this week. And FFW+ listeners will have a bonus pod in their feeds tomorrow!
One last thing before heading over to The Watercooler- please support our new apparel partner Homage. Use code “FFW” for a very limited time to receive a discount on your purchase. Browse their Marvel collections, shop for Mom, or support your favorite pro sports team.
THE WATERCOOLER
THIS WEEK IN THE MCU
Everyone is talking about that post-credits scene from Thunderbolts*. I highly recommend checking out this “Director Debrief” with Phase Hero’s Brandon Davis, where Jake Schreier explains exactly when and where that scene was filmed. The answer may surprise you.
Now that the movie is out in the world, there are seemingly endless interviews to sift through with Jake Schreier and other people who worked on the film. I recommend these director interviews from Entertainment Weekly and Variety. Then check out interviews with composers Son Lux from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
Winston Duke, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Chris Hemsworth & Anthony Mackie
Over in London, several actors from the Avengers: Doomsday cast assembled for a private screening of Thunderbolts*. Avengers: Doomsday officially began principal photography earlier in the week and is now less than a year away.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published a detailed article about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how difficult it was for Kevin Feige to keep up with all of the content released from 2021-23. According to the report, there is concern at the studio that projects were beginning to feel too much like homework. So, Feige has led an overhaul that will see their live-action television output scaled back to 1-2 shows per year and for the movies to require less prior knowledge of the MCU.
The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that Ryan Reynolds is in the early stages of writing a new Deadpool/X-Men team-up movie. According to the report, Reynolds is writing the script to include 3 or 4 members of the X-Men. Only time will tell if this ever comes to fruition.
In an interview on The High Performance Podcast, Jeremy Renner claimed that the reason season 2 of Hawkeye never came to fruition is because he was offered half the salary that he received during the first season of the show.
“This is not Marvel, mind you. This is like, just Disney, not even really Disney. It’s just the penny pinchers, the accountants. I told them to go fly a kite. I mean, just at the at the insult offer. So we didn’t see eye to eye on it. Sadly, I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I I had to defend myself. I didn’t ask for any more money, mind you. Just pay me what I made made the first season. So it’s all disheartening that that didn’t happen, but that’s fine. I’m happy to let that go, because my body’s probably thanking me, time and time again, that I’m not doing it right now. But we’ll see.”
BEYOND THE MULTIVERSE
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners continues to blow away expectations at the box office, dropping just 28% week-over-week and hauling in another $33 million despite competition from Thunderbolts*.
Speaking of the box office, early tracking numbers for Memorial Day Weekend have the potential for a record-setting holiday weekend. Lilo & Stitch is tracking to earn $120 million, and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is tracking to earn a series-best $80 million.
TRUE BELIEVERS RUMOR OF THE WEEK
When Marvel Studios revealed the names of 27 cast members for Avengers: Doomsday during a 5.5-hour live-stream last month, it was rumored that the studio held back quite a few names. The rumored cast list has now grown to over 60 names. To protect the innocent, I won’t list them here, but curious readers can visit this link.
What a time to be a Marvel fan. Daredevil: Born Again just wrapped up an excellent first season, and Thunderbolts* more than lived up to the hype this weekend. Stay subscribed to this newsletter and listen to Friends From Work wherever you get your podcasts. Ironheart and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are right around the corner.
-Greg
