They may not be the Avengers, but the motley crew of Marvel Studios' "Thunderbolts" punched their way to the top of the box office this weekend, continuing a strong season for theaters as Hollywood's summer movie season gets underway.

The movie, which stars Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan as part of an antihero ensemble, opened in the U.S. and Canada to $76 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates. Globally, "Thunderbolts" debuted with $162 million, including $86 million from outside the U.S. and Canada.

Before its release, "Thunderbolts" was expected to bring in about $70 million in its opening weekend, though some projections had pegged $80 million as the high end of its earning potential, according to analyst estimates.

The film's reported budget is $180 million.

The opening weekend performance for "Thunderbolts" is in line with Marvel films such as 2021's "Eternals," which brought in $71 million, and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," which made $75 million. The most recent Marvel film, "Captain America: Brave New World," hauled in $89 million in its opening weekend in February.

Marvel's past box office success raised the bar for the franchise, which has been difficult for every film to meet, especially given the pandemic and the dual writers and actors strikes in 2023, said Shawn Robbins, founder of film business analysis site Box Office Theory and director of analytics at Fandango.

After the 2019 blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame," Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel often seemed to struggle to find its footing, losing its consistency at the box office and with critics. "The Marvels" was a misfire, and movies including "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" appeared to signal a drop-off in quality.

But the largely positive reviews for "Thunderbolts" could provide momentum for Marvel's summer release,"The Fantastic Four: First Steps."

"In any franchise, the next film performs as well as the previous film was treated by audiences," Robbins said.

After a sluggish first quarter at the box office, theaters have seen a complete turnaround this spring. Warner Bros. Pictures' "A Minecraft Movie" provided the first jolt in early April with a massive $157-million domestic opening weekend.

Then Ryan Coogler's R-rated "Sinners" took a bite of the box office over the Easter weekend with a $48-million opening, and has continued to draw crowds.

This season's diverse lineup, which includes family movies, R-rated horror films and now, a PG-13 superhero flick, gives audiences more reason to flock to theaters, Robbins said.

"It feels a little bit like the before times," he said. "The fact that it's been happening in April is a really encouraging sign going into the summer."

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