US EditionMovie review: 'Thunderbolts*' a strong MCU entry but doesn't up the 'anti'
- Marvel Studios released Thunderbolts on May 2, 2025, directed by Jake Schreier, featuring a team of antiheroes including Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, and John Walker.
- The film centers on Yelena Belova as she faces an existential dilemma while embarking on a complicated undercover assignment given by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the embattled head of a U.S. Intelligence agency, who is simultaneously confronting an impeachment trial.
- Thunderbolts assembles characters from multiple Marvel projects into a redemption-seeking team with themes of depression and self-worth, highlighted by practical effects and real locations.
- The movie is projected to open domestically with $70-$75 million at over 4,300 theaters and has an 89% certified fresh rating versus lower scores for recent MCU films.
- Thunderbolts marks a potential new direction for the MCU, praised for story and character focus, and generates cautious optimism about the franchise's future despite familiar tonal flaws.
15 Articles
15 Articles
‘Thunderbolts*’ Looks To Create Lightning And Fire Up Summer Box Office With $175M Global Opening – Preview
Marvel Studios is back in firing up the summer this time with 'Thunderbolts*' which is eyeing a $175M global, $75M domestic opening at the box office.
'Thunderbolts' Review: Marvel's Most Unexpected Antiheroes Jolt The MCU Back To Life
It’s easy to be cynical about Marvel Studios releases these days. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, after all, has felt adrift since Avengers: Endgame brought an 11-year saga to its glorious, bittersweet end. Apart from a handful of gems, the recent movie offerings from Marvel Studios have ranged from forgettable to outright awful, with fans forced to keep up with the absurd number of characters and storylines through multiple films and Disney+ TV …
Thunderbolts* brings back everything crucial the MCU has been missing
It’s been a long time since a Marvel movie has felt like a Marvel movie. Sure, the characters are still recognizable, but recently, it has felt like each new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is more interested in introducing us to the franchise’s future than in showing us the latest adventures of the characters we love, let alone giving us new heroes worth caring about. But Marvel’s latest theatrical release, Thunderbolts*, feels like a re…
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