New data revealed whether Thor: Love and Thunder was a box office hit or flop for Marvel Studios in 2022.
Thor 4 was quickly criticized on release for a number of perceived flaws, even receiving the second-lowest audience score in the whole MCU.
This backlash to director Taika Waititi‘s superhero comedy even led the movie to see one of the worst week-to-week box office drops in MCU history.
Did Thor: Love and Thunder Make a Profit?
In a recent report, Deadline revealed the truth and real numbers behind Thor: Love and Thunder‘s box office, but was it a success for Disney and Marvel?
Between earning $343.2 million domestically and $417.6 million internationally, Thor 4 had a worldwide box office total of $760.9 million. Disney’s take from the theatrical run once all was said and done ended up under half that total at $350 million.
The movie’s $760.9 million gross came as a $94 million drop from $855 million that Thor: Ragnarok pulled in. That can be justified by Love and Thunder missing out on the Chinese and Russian markets where Ragnarok grossed a total of $135.9 million.
In fact, putting the two Thor movies side-by-side, Love and Thunder actually grossed slightly more than Ragnarok in a number of locations, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and many more.
Additionally, Love and Thunder generated a further $140 million in revenue from home entertainment and $160 million from television and streaming deals.
This brings the total revenue generated from Thor: Love and Thunder to $650 million, but was that enough to turn a profit?
Well, between production ($250M), print and ads ($160M), video costs ($35M), residuals ($27M), interest and overheads ($45M), and participation ($30M), the MCU blockbuster’s total expenses came to $547 million.
Comparing the total revenue to the amassed expenses, an estimated $103 million profit was generated from Thor 4, making it far from a flop.
After actor Dwayne Johnson originally shared false financial figures, it was revealed last year Black Adam brought in $52 to $72 million profit. This leaves Love and Thunder having made as much as twice the profit of its DC rival.
This profit comes close to that of the 2022 horror hit Smile, which Deadline revealed turned over $101 million. Despite generating far less revenue than Love and Thunder at $208 million, its costs were also far lower at just $107 million.
Why Thor 4 Was Actually a Huge Success
Many were quick to label Thor: Love and Thunder as a flop based on it having the second-lowest audience score in MCU history. This was compounded by the box office taking a dive from its predecessor, falling short of movies to hit just before it like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
But clearly, these figures make it apparent Thor 4 was not a flop, and if it wasn’t for the movie being banned in China and skipping out on Russia due to sanctions against the country because of its invasion of Ukraine, it probably would have made even more money than Ragnaork.
The resultant profit of Love and Thunder certainly won’t leave Disney wanting to call it quits with the Thor franchise or director Taika Waititi anytime soon. Although talk of Thor 5 has been scarce for now, the House of Mouse still has big plans with Waititi as he continues to develop his own Star Wars movie under Lucasfilm.
Thor: Love and Thunder is streaming now on Disney+
