The excitement for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* has reached fever pitch, with IMAX early screening tickets in key American cities selling out in under an hour — mirroring the fan frenzy seen with past MCU mega-hits. The special showings scheduled for April 22 in 10 American cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Dallas, have sparked massive demand.Early Screenings: A Proven Box Office BoosterThe phenomenon is not just relegated to the USA. In the past, films like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home have garnered critical acclaim and set box office records owing to the mega Marvel fan base! While Avengers: Endgame saw its 6am show in Hyderabad and Chennai sell out almost instantly, Spider-Man: No Way Home hosted advance, midnight screenings that were packed with cheering fans. This shows that films with this kind of early buzz tend to dominate the opening weekends, suggesting strongly that Thunderbolts* might follow the same trend.Fan Hype Equals Box Office Gold for MarvelWith pre-launch screenings, Marvel seems to have mastered the art of turning fan excitement into box office success. In 2023, early fan screenings of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, especially the dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions, were a roaring success. This only proves that early, word-of-mouth hype for a well-made Hollywood film can outperform expectations.The Momentum Begins for Thunderbolts*With its team of anti-heroes, each one with its own dark past,, Thunderbolts* brings a fresh twist to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This lightning-fast sellout of IMAX tickets suggests that Marvel’s core fanbase is fully behind the film. Reports in the American media have predicted a $63M–$77M domestic debut. Historically though, strong early reactions, especially in key international markets like India, could push the number past these projections.As the final film of MCU Phase Five, Thunderbolts* has a high bar to clear. But with fan enthusiasm at peak levels in India, it may just defy expectations in India!Thunderbolts* follows a crew of an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits. The film also returns to the screen the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in addition to some exciting new faces. Jake Schreier directed Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing it. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson served as executive producers.Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* opens in Indian theatres on May 1, 2025 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu