Why Thunderbolts and Ballerina Flopped: The Missing Female Audience

Indeed, just as I mentioned, it turns out that the female viewers stayed away from both movies, Thunderbolts and Ballerina. Unfortunately, neither film has fared well at the cinema.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that the usual substantial Hispanic audience, often drawn to fan-favorite films, seemed absent, an occurrence that’s not entirely unexpected.

“Intended and targeted audience” isn’t showing up

Previously mentioned on numerous occasions, including my recent analysis of why the film “Ballerina” failed, it’s crucial to understand who your viewers are because the intended and desired audience seems to be absent, a trend that has consistently been observed in the past.

In essence, both The Marvels and Madame Web faced a common fate as major flops: it seems that the female-centric audience isn’t finding these productions appealing. It’s well-known that only diehard fans are showing up to watch. This trend is also observed in the MCU shows on Disney+, the Disney Star Wars Trilogy, and numerous other series such as Doctor Who and Terminator, among others.

It’s hard not to ponder why Hollywood continues to produce such content with repeated failures. Is it due to ineptitude, a fondness for financial losses, or are they receiving incentives and subsidies through DEI funding to create this subpar material? After all, they can’t be so unintelligent, can they? There must be an explanation behind it.

No more killer babes

The primary viewers for the movies “Thunderbolts” and “Ballerina”, according to official statistics, were predominantly males. Women tended to shy away from these films. Specifically, “Thunderbolts” attracted 65% male viewers, while “Ballerina” had a slightly lower but still majority male audience of 63%.

26% of the audience for Thunderbolts was Hispanic, while it was 27% for Ballerina. This is considered a relatively low percentage. Interestingly, Ballerina stars Hispanic actress Ana de Armas in a leading role; however, this didn’t seem to encourage more Hispanics to attend the movie.

Grace Randolph, a well-known YouTuber who advocates for feminist ideas, brought up an interesting observation. She asked, “What’s going on with the allure of action heroines? Actresses like Angelina Jolie have built entire careers based on this appeal.” Randolph also noted that Scarlett Johansson has shown strong performance in films such as Lucy.

It seems quite clear that you’re asking about the absence of certain characters. To put it another way: “Are there any female characters portrayed as ‘action heroines’ or glamorous models here?” In my previous piece, I pointed out that such figures do not appear because there are no ‘killer babes’.

Sexy women no longer allowed

In those Marvel movies, I, much like Scarlett Johansson’s character Black Widow, captivated many. I strutted confidently in front of Jon Favreau and the team during filming, taking pride in my costume. At that time, it was just a director admiring his actress’ work, but today, such an interaction might find headlines in Variety, potentially labeled as sexual harassment.

— Cosmic Book News (@cosmicbooknews) June 9, 2025

In a simpler and more conversational way, the sentence could be rephrased as: “Florence Pugh’s character, Yelena, seems quite down. There’s no glamour or excitement, instead she appears dull and grey. Isn’t there supposed to be some charm or allure?

MCU got it right, what happened?

They got it right with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow when the MCU first started.

A female assassin employs her charm and intelligence to get near her target, as raw strength isn’t typically her forte. Instead of charging in guns blazing, she uses her allure and wit to gain the target’s trust before executing her plan. She can certainly handle a fight, but she does so gracefully and elegantly, much like Scarlett Johansson in both her role as a female assassin and in “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” As for Yelena, we’ll have to wait and see if she possesses the same charm and skill.

Ballerina: Casualty of fan backlash?

I haven’t had the chance to watch “Ballerina” just yet, which means I’m unfamiliar with Ana de Armas’ performance in the movie. However, I do know that Chad Stahelski, who has a background in martial arts, reshot almost all of the action scenes. In fact, there are clips showing Ana de Armas fighting alongside Keanu Reeves. Despite this, it’s hard for me to imagine her matching up against John Wick in a fight. Even if she somehow possesses equal skills to Wick, strength often determines the outcome when two equally skilled fighters face off – and that’s just a basic fact.

If “Ballerina” turns out to be a quality film, its failure may be attributable to the excessive, unwanted elements that have been imposed upon its fanbase over the last decade (or more, if we consider the source material from the comics).

They Sell Sex to Promote It—But Not in the Actual Movie

Have you observed something intriguing? Many actresses in films and TV series appear extremely attractive on the Red Carpet, during interviews, and on social media platforms. For instance, Pugh showcased her style on Jimmy Kimmel to promote Thunderbolts. However, their characters in these movies seem devoid of sex appeal. Could this be a hint for further exploration?

Here ya go: