THUNDERBOLTS*

A TEAM FROM THE MARGINS

HOW THUNDERBOLTS* REACHED THE SCREEN

Marvel Studios first teased the formation of an MCU Thunderbolts team in 2021. The film was revealed to be in development in June 2022 with Jake Schreier and Eric Pearson attached, and it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022. Joanna Calo joined to write during production. Schreier suggested the asterisk in the title in his pitch, and the title was formally changed to Thunderbolts* by March 2024.

The film’s ending reveals the Thunderbolts to be the New Avengers, and Disney clarified that the film was not formally retitled but the asterisk was “spelled out.” Principal photography began by 26 February 2024 at Trilith Studios and Atlanta Metro Studios under the working title Oops All Berries, with filming in Utah and Kuala Lumpur. Son Lux composed the score, and the budget was $180 million.

LONELINESS AND DEPRESSION

WHAT THE FILM IS ABOUT

The script explores mental health, specifically loneliness and depression, particularly through Bob, also known as Sentry. Schreier described the story’s central idea about shame:

“the greatest shame of all was thinking that you could be something bigger than yourself.”

Jake Schreier

ANTIHEROES AND A SPYMASTER

WHO IS IN THE CAST

The cast includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as Bob Reynolds, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel and Wendell Pierce as Gary. Steven Yeun was cast as Sentry in February 2023 and left in January 2024, with Pullman replacing him.

A MODEST OPENING

HOW THE FILM WAS RELEASED AND WHAT IT EARNED

The film premiered in London on 22 April 2025 and opened in the US on 2 May, after earlier dates of July 2024, December 2024 and July 2025. It opened to $74,300,608 in the US and went on to earn $190,274,328 there and $382,436,917 worldwide. Variety put the break-even point at $425 million, and it is one of the lowest-grossing MCU films.

In a post-credits scene set fourteen months later, the New Avengers discuss a feud with Sam Wilson and a spacecraft with a large “4” emblem arrives.

THE REWATCH

AN 88% CRITICS SCORE AND AN A- FROM AUDIENCES

Rotten Tomatoes lists an 88% critics’ score from 385 reviews and a 93% audience score, and its consensus says it “refreshingly returns to the tried-and-true blueprint of the MCU’s best adventures.” Metacritic gives it 68 from 53 critics and a user score of 7.2, and CinemaScore audiences gave it an A-. Jake Coyle of the Associated Press gave it three stars out of four, saying “most of all, Pugh commands every bit of the movie,” while Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph gave two stars and called it “dollop upon dollop of dourness.” Pugh won two awards, at the Astra Midseason Awards and the Critics’ Choice Super Awards.

In the Marvel Marathon it sits in the MCU release order guide between Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and Ironheart. It sits between Captain America: Brave New World and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the MCU movies in order and Marvel movies in release order guides. In the MCU timeline guide it comes between Captain America: Brave New World and Wonder Man Season 1.