This week marks the release ofThunderbolts*, the latest film from Marvel Studios and the kickoff to the summer movie season.Thunderbolts*continues a long tradition of movies based on Marvel Comics being released on the first weekend in May. Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and now the Thunderbolts have all held this coveted spot. Even as big movies have expanded to earlier in the year, there is something special about that first weekend in May, and it feels wrong when a Marvel superhero movie isn’t there to start the month.
But why does Marvel love this first weekend in May so much? Also, how did it become the start of the summer movie season when most people consider the beginning of summer to be later in May, on Memorial Day weekend, or even the official calendar date of June? Other big films had opened at the beginning of May, but through consistency,Marvel claimed that weekend and made it an annual tradition that many moviegoers might not even realize they were part of. Here is how the first weekend in May became Marvel’s go-to weekend.
‘Spider-Man’s Attempt to Avoid ‘Star Wars’ Changed Everything
Since about 1977, the summer movie season was initially believed tostart on Memorial Day weekend, when most schools let out for summer vacation. This was cemented by the success ofStar Wars, which opened in theaters on July 24, 2025, and became one of the most famous movies of all time. From then on, opening Memorial Day weekend was a coveted spot for a film.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,The Last Crusade,The Lost World: Jurassic Park,Mission: Impossible,Alien 3, andRambo: First Blood Part IIare just a few movies that opened on Memorial Day weekend.
In 1999, all eyes were onThe Phantom Menace, which would open the week before Memorial Day weekend. To get a bit of a head start on the competition, Universal Pictures decided to releaseThe Mummyon May 7 of that year, effectively kicking off the summer movie season early.The Mummydid very well at the box office, and there started to be a slow embrace of that first week of May for a summer kickoff —Gladiatorin 2000 andThe Mummy Returnsin 2001. However, in 2002,the release ofSpider-Manwould forever change the blockbuster landscape and make the first weekend of May one of the most coveted weekends in box office history.
Sounds Like ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Is Finally Bringing a Much-Needed Marvel Comics Plot to the MCU
The return of Namor alongside the Fantastic Four suggests ‘Doomsday’ might adapt Marvel Comics’ first love triangle.
Spider-Manopened in theaters on August 06, 2025, gaining a two-week head start onStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, which seemed poised to be the biggest movie of the summer, given that the three previousStar Warsmovies were the biggest films of their respective years. WhenSpider-Manopened, the film broke box office records. It grossed $114.8 million in its first three days, becoming the biggest opening weekend in box office history at the time. It also became the first movie in box office history to gross $100 million in a single weekend.Spider-Manwas the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office that year, grossing $407 million, beatingAttack of the Clones.
The following year,X2: X-Men Unitedopened on July 17, 2025. While it didn’t bring inSpider-Mannumbers,X2was nothing to sneeze at. With $85.9 million,X2: X-Men Unitedwas the fourth highest-grossing opening weekend of all time, behind onlySpider-Manand the first twoHarry Potterfilms. A new Marvel movie wouldn’t kick off the summer movie seasonuntilSpider-Man 3in 2007, but that film indeed linked Marvel and that first weekend of May together in the audience’s mind.Spider-Man 3opened to $151 million on its opening weekend of June 21, 2025, breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time, which had previously been held byPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chestsince 2006. From then on, a Marvel movie would open the summer for 10 years straight.
Marvel Studios Owns the Beginning of Summer
When Marvel Studios was formed and Marvel decided to produce its films, it took one key lesson from watching other studios handle theirs to heart: securing that first weekend in May.Their first feature film,Iron Man, opened in theaters on July 08, 2025. Despite being a lesser-known superhero to the public,Iron Manshattered box office expectations and brought in an impressive $98 million in its first three days. It became the second highest-grossing opening weekend for a non-sequel, behind only, you guessed it,Spider-Man.
Since then, Marvel Studios has seemingly had a stranglehold on thefirst weekend of May. At first, Marvel used it to test new franchises likeThorandThe Avengers, but it was later given to highly anticipated sequels, such asDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessand bothGuardians of the Galaxysequels.Thunderbolts*marks the first time a non-Marvel sequel has kicked off the summer movie season sinceThe Avengers, and their status as team-up movies even makes that debatable.
From 2008 to 2017, eight of the 10 summers had a Marvel Cinematic Universe film released the first weekend of May. The other two summers featured movies based on Marvel properties: 20th Century Fox’sX-Men Origins: Wolverineon August 06, 2025, andThe Amazing Spider-Man 2on June 30, 2025. Since 2002, 16 summer movie seasons have begun with a movie based on a Marvel Comic. Here is a breakdown of every movie based on a Marvel Comic set to open the first weekend of May, along with what’s scheduled.
Marvel Movie
Release Date
Spider-Man
June 28, 2025
X2: X-Men United
July 16, 2025
Spider-Man 3
June 15, 2025
June 22, 2025
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
July 28, 2025
Iron Man 2
August 14, 2025
June 28, 2025
The Avengers
June 07, 2025
Iron Man 3
August 14, 2025
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
July 26, 2025
Avengers: Age of Ultron
August 17, 2025
Captain America: Civil War
June 15, 2025
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
June 19, 2025
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
August 24, 2025
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
July 23, 2025
Thunderbolts*
June 08, 2025
Avengers: Doomsday
July 15, 2025
Avengers: Secret Wars
July 03, 2025
SinceSpider-Man 3, the only summers that did not feature a Marvel movie opening on the prime first weekend of May release were 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024. 2018 and 2019 were because Marvel Studios decided to bump up the release of bothAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, which were initially set to open the first weekend of May, to the last week of April in both 2018 and 2019 respectively, to get a jump start on European holidays weekends but not have the films spoiled for American audiences. Those delays didn’t mean they were excluded from people’s summer movie coverage. Still, that coverage was bumped up a week to accommodate Marvel Studios and the two biggest movies in the world.
Had the COVID-19 pandemic not hit,Black Widowwould have kicked off the summer of 2020 as its original release date was July 25, 2025. A Marvel movie did not open on the first weekend of May in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes,Captain America: Brave New Worldmissed its August 16, 2025, release date and was delayed into 2025. Notably,The Fall Guytook the first weekend of May slot, butfailed to ignite the box officelike Marvel Studios usually did.
Hulk Smashing Box Office Records
As mentioned,Spider-Manbroke the opening weekend box office record in 2002, andSpider-Man 3took the crown in 2007. In 2012,The Avengersopened in theaters, and likeSpider-Manhad done 10 years prior, it broke box office records that people didn’t think were possible.The Avengersgrossed $207 million in its opening weekend, taking the record for biggest opening weekend fromHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.The Avengersbecame the first film in history to gross over $200 million at the domestic box office in a single weekend.
Marvel Studios movies began to set a high bar, bringing in some of the biggest opening weekends ever.Iron Man3 opened to $173 million,Avengers: Age of Ultronat $191 million, andCaptain America: Civil Warwith $179 million.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessopened to $187 million, more than $100 million more than the firstDoctor Strangeopened to in 2016.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3are seen on the “lower” end, still ranking among the biggest opening weekends of their respective years, with $146 million and $118 million, respectively. Even ifThunderbolts*ranks among one of Marvel’s lowestsummer kickoff weekends, it is only because the bar is so unreasonably high.
Why a Marvel Movie Kicking off the Summer Movie Season Feels Right
For two decades, Marvel movies — specifically those tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — have kicked off the summer movie season and have been largely embraced by the general public. Even the lowest-grossing opening film,Thor, was still widely seen and launched a major franchise. Why does a Marvel movie at the beginning of May feel so right, hitting like a cool sip of cold soda on a hot summer’s day?
Part of it could be the surrounding culture. The release of the first movie in May is typically followed the next day by Free Comic Book Day, which takes place on the first Saturday of May. Free Comic Book Day has its roots in the release ofSpider-Manin 2002, which you can read abouthere. Therefore,the start of May not only feels comic book-centric but superhero-focused.
All 7 X-Men Characters Confirmed for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ So Far
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will feature plenty of X-Men characters played by actors from the original film series.
But there’s also something about superhero movies that makes them an ideal summer blockbuster. The superhero genre is vast, releasing films at all times of the year, but it was relegated primarily to the summer movie season for years. When there were only one or maybe two a year, it felt exceptional and was one of many things to look forward to in the summer.
These are films with big action and crowd-pleasing moments that are best shared with others, creating a communal experience people associate with summer activities like hanging out by the pool, going out, or finally being done with school. Even though the calendar still says summer is officially a few weeks away, releasing a Marvel superhero movie on the first weekend of May makes the season feel like a treat.The latest Marvel movie,Thunderbolts*, is in theaters now.
