- Thunderbolts* has a Tomatometer score of 88%
- It currently ranks among top 15 MCU films
- Critics praise Florence Pugh as the standout
The Rotten Tomatoes critics have spoken. Thunderbolts* is a hit!
Positive reviews for Marvel’s latest blockbuster are pouring in on the site, currently giving it an impressive score of 88%.
This will be welcome news for the MCU, following the mild reaction from fans and critics to their other 2025 release so far, Captain America: Brave New World.
Read more: Protect The Dolls: Pedro Pascal Thunderbolts* look explained
With 118 reviews at the time of writing, Thunderbolts* comfortably ranks among the top 15 MCU films on the Tomatometer.
Read more: Thunderbolts post credits scene: What to expect
The flick brings together a group of misfit anti-heroes in the Avengers’ world, including Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), the Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) – essentially Marvel’s answer to the Sucicide Squad.
The unconventional team embark on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
What are the critics saying?
TomMCL, who writes for Hollywood Handle, called the film “a one of its kind Comic Book Movie with slick action”… adding “this isn’t just one of the best MCU movies since Avengers: Endgame, it’s one of the best period”.
Paul Klein of Filmhounds touched on the movie’s mental health undertones: “It’s ironic that a film about the void of depression and facing one’s own internal conflict can be such a joy, but then again… films, like people, can contain paradoxes and multitudes.”
Film critic Linda Marric enjoyed the film’s throwback vibe, noting “This is a gritty, chaotic and sometimes uneven return to the best of the old MCU. It is thrilling and heartfelt and best of all, it proves Marvel can still surprise us when it stops trying to please everyone and leans into the weirdness.”
Thunderbolts* belongs to Florence Pugh
For many, Pugh’s portrayal of Yelena Belova (Black Widow) was a standout, widely praised as the main reason critics enjoyed the film. The British actress first introduced audiences to Belova in Black Widow (2021) & Hawkeye (2021) before reprising the role.
BBC film critic Nicholas Barber saif “That’s why Thunderbolts* is so much better than most of Marvel’s post-Endgame films. It’s not just because it’s a rough-edged, big-hearted spy thriller about lovably clueless anti-heroes. It’s because it has an actor as charismatic as Pugh at its center”.
Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic noted that “Everyone in the film is having a grand old time” but said that” Pugh is the center”
He added “Her performance combines Yelena’s pain and guilt with a wry humor. She may be the most low-key movie star going. Yet you’re drawn to her.”
Tyler Calvert said that “Pugh truly us in the future of the MCU”, while Times Culture stated “we needed this Marvel film with Florence Pugh”.
With Thunderbolts* hitting theaters on 2 May, there are still a few days to go before audience reactions flood the internet. However, if the first wave of Tomatometer reviews is anything to go by, they’re in for a treat.
