'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMPiQ//EAB8QAAEEAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQRBRIAFAYHcf/aAAgBAQABPwCJ7BlxeuvXjOEwOrZHHCwoUEa+VzJecLkcjKmyMbDR6S6Tx6NoibEtrz//xAAZEQABBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDETH/2gAIAQIBAT8ASNu0f//EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECABEh/9oACAEDAQE/AC7HLn//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thunderbolts* hit the theaters on May 2, 2025. The long-awaited superhero movie is the final installment of the MCU's Phase 5. Directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, the film sees a mismatched group of anti-heroes put together to fight off a formidable villain in New York City.
The critics' rating for Thunderbolts* on Rotten Tomatoes is 88% at the time of writing, while the audience rating is 95%. While the overall reception is positive for the movie, fans on the internet are divided over its performance. For instance, one fan wrote:
"Is the MCU back?"
Trending
Many other fans responded with similar positive sentiments.
"It’s like they remembered how to do superhero movies again but BETTER," - another fan added.
"Was a lot of fun," - another fan commented.
"This movie is perfect," - another fan wrote.
On the other hand, some fans were not impressed with the film and expressed the same on social media platforms.
"Nothing we haven’t seen so many times before. This was a terrible outing." - another fan added.
"Wow! So superheroes saved someone in a superhero movie? Amazing!!" - another fan sarcastically commented.
"within normal limits" - another fan wrote.
Jake Schreier revealed why he wanted to make Thunderbolts*
Jake Schreier made his feature film debut in 2012 with the movie Robot & Frank, which won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He has since directed several other projects, including multiple episodes of the hit TV series, Beef, and one episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
In an interview with ABC Entertainment published on May 4, 2025, Schreier revealed why he wanted to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He said:
"I'm such a big Florence Pugh fan. Ever since Lady Macbeth, I just felt like [you have to take] any opportunity you have to work with her, in any context."
Florence Pugh reprised her character as the Red Room assassin, Yelena Belova, a member of Thunderbolts, the group of misfit anti-heroes. Speaking of his experience of working with Pugh, Schreier said:
"I think that she just really pops off the screen in almost everything that she does."
He continued:
"Actors like Florence can really give you all those sides of a character and can find the humour, even if it's coming from a dark place, so it doesn't just feel like the movie is flat or only living in darkness."
Also read: Thunderbolts* movie features a major death that pulls the rug from underneath the audience
Thunderbolts* is on track with box office projections for the opening weekend
According to a Variety article published on May 3, 2025, Thunderbolts* earned $31.5 million on its opening day, including Friday and preview screenings across 4,330 theaters. The report noted that the film was tracking in line with projections, which estimate a domestic opening weekend between $70 million and $75 million.
Also read: Thunderbolts* ending explained: Is there a new Avengers?
Besides the We Live in Time actress, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, and David Harbour also reprise their respective roles as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, John Walker, Ghost, Taskmaster and Red Guardian from previous MCU films.
Other prominent characters appearing in the movie are Bob Reynolds/Sentry/Void, portrayed by Lewis Pullman, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Thunderbolts* is now in cinemas.
