Box Office: Thunderbolts review embargo lifts ahead of May 2 launch, with Florence Pugh earning early praise

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts is generating early momentum as its full review embargo officially lifts days ahead of its theatrical release. Scheduled to hit US theaters on May 2, with Thursday previews on May 1, the film is kicking off the 2025 summer movie season, and critics are already applauding the title, with many calling it one of the boldest entries in the post-COVID Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As of now, Thunderbolts holds an impressive 89 percent approval rating from 96 critics on RT, placing it just behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (92 percent) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (93 percent) among post-pandemic MCU titles. Early reviews highlight the film’s unconventional structure, character-driven storytelling, and darker tone. Florence Pugh, returning as Yelena Belova, is earning standout praise for her performance, with many reviewers citing her as the emotional core of the film.

Directed by Jake Schreier from a script by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, Thunderbolts brings together a unique team of antiheroes. Alongside Pugh, the film stars Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The plot centers on a group of morally gray characters forced to work on a high-risk mission under the supervision of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Their survival and potential redemption depend on their ability to work together as a team.

The film marks the 36th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and serves as the final chapter of Phase Five. Development on it began in 2022, with Marvel first testing the formation of the Thunderbolts team in earlier movies.

After multiple creative overhauls and the setback caused by the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes, filming for Thunderbolts ran from February to June 2024, on locations including Trilith Studios and Atlanta Metro Studios, as well as shoots in Utah and Kuala Lumpur. Thunderbolts had its world premiere on April 22 at the Empire Leicester Square in London, with strong early reactions and buzz suggesting Marvel may have another critical and commercial hit on its hands.

Opening weekend projections for the film currently stand at USD 70–75 million stateside and USD 90–100 million overseas.

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