Thunderboltshas just achieved an impressiveMarvel Cinematic Universestat.Thunderboltsboasts an all-star cast, bringing anti-heroes from several MCU movies and TV shows together, with a lot of them meeting for the first time. As the Multiverse Saga has lacked in character interactions and team projects, with no Avengers movies so far,Thunderboltscomes as a breath of fresh air, which has made the excitement levels for the film rise. Before theupcoming MCU moviearrives in theaters, fans can now get a concrete look at howThunderboltsfares through its first reviews.
OnRotten Tomatoes,Marvel Studios’Thunderboltsdebuted with 95%, the MCU’s second-highest score ever. OnlyBlack Panther, with 96%, stands above it. However, as more reviews come in, the 2025 MCU movie’s critics' score could drop, as numbers tend to fluctuate when it comes to release week. As a whole, the Multiverse Saga has been divisive, with films likeSpider-Man: No Way HomeandDeadpool & Wolverinebecoming universally acclaimed, while others likeEternalsandCaptain America: Brave New Worldhave struggled.Thunderbolts’s emotional storyseems to have resonated with critics, which is exciting for its box office chances.
What The Thunderbolts* RT Score Means
Marvel Studios Seems To Have The Hit It Needs
Thunderbolts*‘sRotten Tomatoesscore being so highis impressive in comparison to the MCU as a whole, but even more so when it comes to the Multiverse Saga. As this period of the franchise has been divisive, leading to multiple Rotten scores for MCU movies by critics, Marvel needed its new team movie to be a major hit. Based on how positive the response from critics has shown to be, it is easy to imagine thatThunderbolts*could generate the same kind of response from fans, becoming the box office hit it has to be.
Most of theThunderboltscast will soon reprise their roles inAvengers: Doomsday. With Marvel pivoting to Doctor Doom after firing Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors, all the setup that had been put onscreen for him to be the Multiverse Saga’s main villain is now wasted. The buildup to the next two Avengers movies has not been nearly as perfect as it was forInfinity WarandEndgamein the MCU’s Infinity Saga. As it introduces a new team that will be key toAvengers: Doomsday, the fact thatThunderbolts’s reviews are so positive bodes well for the 2026 movie.
Our Take On The Thunderbolts* RT Score
Marvel’s New Team Deserves All This Success
I’m glad to seeThunderboltsdebut with the MCU’s second-highestRotten Tomatoesscore ever. While I knowThe Fantastic Four: First Stepshas always been Marvel’s splashiest release of 2025, I have to say that after its first few trailers,Thunderboltsquickly became the MCU movie I’ve been looking forward to the most this year.
As critics have been said to be somewhat jaded with the MCU over the past few years, such a strong positive response from the firstThunderboltsreviews is exciting. I believe Marvel has a gem on its hands, and I can’t wait to watchThunderbolts.
“In a post-Endgame landscape that has been more than a little messy — with characters introduced and never returning, and the whole plan for the Multiverse Saga being scrapped midway through — Thunderbolts* is the Marvel movie the MCU needs right now. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it has a good heart, and features a great cast of characters who are the underdogs of the franchise — and who are bound to become fan-favorites (if they aren’t already).” -Molly Freeman-Screen Rant’s Thunderbolts* Review
