Thunderbolts First Reactions: Top-Tier Marvel and Its Best Film in Years

Hitting theaters next week, Marvel’s C-team of reluctant heroes makes their collective debut in Thunderbolts, and the first reactions to the movie have arrived online. Following the poor reception of Captain America: Brave New Worldin February, this second MCU theatrical release of 2025 is sure to earn more positive reviews if critics’ remarks on social media are any indication. They’re calling this one of the best Marvel movies in years, with an appreciated representation of mental health and another great performance from Florence Pugh.

Here’s what critics are saying about Thunderbolts:

Are the critics liking this one?

I really dug Thunderbolts!
— Sean Chandler, Sean Chandler Talks About

Thunderbolts is FANTASTIC.
— Griffin Schiller, FilmSpeak

Thunderbolts is truly fantastic.
— Jacob Fisher, Discussing Film

I laughed, cried, cheered, and had a fantastic time.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Absolutely LOVED the team dynamic!
— Cris Parker, 3C Films

A legit good character ensemble piece… Yay. I liked it.
— Rendy Jones, Rendy’s Reviews

That was pretty great!
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

Is it one of the better MCU movies?

Best MCU film in a long while!
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

Thunderbolts is easily one of the best MCU movies in a long time (and maybe one of my new personal faves).
— Emily Murray, Total Film

Thunderbolts isn’t just the best Marvel movie in a while – it’s flat-out top-tier Marvel.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

I haven’t felt this giddy leaving an MCU movie in YEARS!… [It’s] top shelf Marvel!
— Griffin Schiller, FilmSpeak

I think this is the best-looking MCU movie in years.
— Jacob Fisher, Discussing Film

It may not be the flashiest, funniest, or strongest Marvel film, but its rough edges and imperfections somehow all feel fitting for this anti-hero team of misfits.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Thunderbolts is better than Marvel’s last movie… The second half is a typical MCU, formulaic comic book movie that abruptly wraps everything up and didn’t work for me.
— John Flickinger, The Flick Pick

How does it compare to other Marvel movies?

I cannot overstate how much this plays like a spiritual sequel to James Gunn’s Guardians trilogy, brimming with heart and sincerity.
— Griffin Schiller, FilmSpeak

I was going to make the same comparison (Earth-bound Guardians of the Galaxy), but held back because I didn’t want people to interpret it as James Gunn humor and soundtrack.  It’s not that, but it is another story of rejects finding their family.
— Sean Chandler, Sean Chanlder Talks About

The biggest compliment I can pay Thunderbolts is that it felt like Infinity era MCU. A focus on the characters and story, rather than fan service or future set-up.
— Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Really felt like old MCU.
— Cris Parker, 3C Films

It’s gritty, emotional, and unlike anything Marvel has done before.
— Nagier Chambers, Big Gold Belt Media

Thunderbolts is, in many ways, different from other MCU films that have come before it, and that freshness couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune time, when the franchise is in need of new blood and direction.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Is it an important part of the MCU?

Deadpool and Wolverine was a highly entertaining event for fans. But this feels like an actual movie and an important piece of the bigger MCU story.
— Sean Chandler, Sean Chandler Talks About

Does it get heavier than most MCU movies?

Heavy themes of mental health… hit hard.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

It’s overtly about depression, loneliness, and purpose. The whole point is they’re reject characters.
— Sean Chandler, Sean Chandler Talks About

Finally, a Marvel movie that treats mental health and depression as a serious matter and not like undercutting it for the sake of a quip.
— Rendy Jones, Rendy’s Reviews

It’s some of Marvel’s darkest material to date, dealing with the emotional wreckage of broken individuals grappling with their past choices and finding camaraderie amidst the emptiness of their lives.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

For me, Thunderbolts worked because it peeled back layers on a subject I have long fought with… I also cried at a story I think people will relate to.
— Paul Klein, FILMHOUND Magazine

[It] tells a genuinely emotional story you connect with. A tear was shed.
— Emily Murray, Total Film

An emotionally resonant superhero film that pushes mental health to the forefront.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

Thunderbolts is basically a group therapy session in comic book form—but I wish it pushed harder.
— John Flickinger, The Flick Pick

Is it funny?

Hilarious.
— Nagier Chambers, Big Gold Belt Media

David Harbour is consistently funny.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

I laughed… Weird in places, in the best way.
— Paul Klein, FILMHOUND Magazine

How is the writing?

The film’s story hit me like a ton of bricks; it’s bold, important, and so well-written.
— Jacob Fisher, Discussing Film

All the emotion helps distract from the fact that not much actually happens in its formulaic plot.
— John Flickinger, The Flick Pick

What about the action?

The action sequences are very strong.
— Jacob Fisher, Discussing Film

Sentry is incredible in action! Great fight sequences.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

There is a larger focus placed on practical action and character-driven work that fulfilled me as a viewer.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

While it is not action-packed, it still works!
— Rosa Parra, The Latino Slant

Does anyone in the ensemble stand out?

Florence Pugh, in particular, is superb; [she] just walks away with it.
— Emily Murray, Total Film

Florence Pugh continues to be a standout.
— Paul Klein, FILMHOUND Magazine

While the entire roster is amazing and delivers a freshness to the MCU that is much needed, Lewis Pullman and Florence Pugh steal the show and bring the heart.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

This may be a team-up film, but it very much belongs to Florence Pugh, who carries much of the dramatic weight of the movie on her back, while Lewis Pullman delivers a complex performance as a sympathetic character at war with himself.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Lewis Pullman might be the stealth MVP.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

Is there anything else noteworthy about the movie?

The score by Son Lux stood out to me more than other MCU films.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Should we stick around after the end credits?

Stay for both end credit scenes because the last one is a doozy!!
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

You’re gonna wanna stay in your seat for the second post-credit scene. It’s a biggie.
— Amon Warmann, Empire Magazine

Will Thunderbolts leave us hopeful for the MCU’s future?

Feels like the MCU is coming together and building towards something again.
— Sean Chandler, Sean Chandler Talks About

Thunderbolts opens in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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