Marvel released three films in 2025. And for my money, one stood head and shoulders above the other two, even if the box-office results didn’t necessarily back that up: Thunderbolts*.
As much an action film as a character study about super-powerful loners and misfits, the movie established a new team of heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, led by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, and featuring the likes of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, the film got some of Marvel’s best reviews since Avengers: Endgame — and stumbled badly at the box office anyway, grossing just $382 million worldwide.
Pinpointing the reasons why it flopped can be left for another time. All that matters right now is there are clearly a lot of people out there — including some Marvel fans! – who did not see Thunderbolts* in theaters. Now those folks can watch it on streaming, as the movie is set to premiere by the end of the month on Disney+.
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If you skipped Thunderbolts* in theaters, you not only missed the best MCU movie in a while (with an absolutely terrific lead performance from Florence Pugh as a grief-stricken Black Widow) you’re going to be a bit lost when Avengers: Doomsday lumbers into theaters next winter. This team of Thunderbolts will all reappear in that movie, and will surely play a central role in tackling Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
But even if you couldn’t care less about the new Avengers, Thunderbolts* is worth a watch. As I wrote in my review...
As Yelena searches for her life’s purpose early in the film, she pointedly asks Red Guardian “What is the point in any of this?” Longtime Marvel fans who suffered through Eternals and Secret Invasion can relate to that sentiment. Thunderbolts* is a nice reminder of what this company is capable of at its best. It looks good, it sounds good, and it really does turn its protagonist’s pain into an effective allegory about rejecting despair and apathy in favor of action and brotherhood.
Thunderbolts* will premiere on Disney+ on August 27.
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