According to early critics’ reviews, the film debuted with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Thunderbolt” Becomes Marvel’s Second Highest Rated Film on Rotten Tomatoes
BY Alo Folakemi
May 2, 2025
9:59 am
Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” has pulled off an incredible feat with its debut score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film earned an impressive 95% from early critics, making it the second-highest-rated Marvel film ever on the platform, behind 2018’s “Black Panther” and ahead of 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.”
Although the score has since dipped to 89% on the Tomatometer based on 152 reviews, the film has been showered with praise from critics who have raved about its bold departure from the traditional Marvel formula.
With this score, “Thunderbolts” becomes the highest-rated entry in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), outshining “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” (46%), “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (82%), “The Marvels” (62%), “Deadpool & Wolverine” (78%), and “Captain America: Brave New World” (48%).
Overall, “Thunderbolts” ranks as the 14th highest-rated film in the MCU, just behind “Doctor Strange” (89%) and above “Ant-Man and The Wasp” (87%).
The 36th film in the MCU and the final film of Phase 5 is projected to gross $175 million worldwide in its opening weekend based on a $180 million budget. Domestically, its earnings is staked at $75 million.
“Thunderbolts” centers on a team of antiheroes and reformed villains brought together by the government for a covert missionone that could determine the survival or extinction of humanity.
“Thunderbolts” is now showing in theatres nationwide.