Apr 13, 2025 01:39 PM IST
Thunderbolts, the final film of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase V, will be released in theatres in May.
The fifth phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is coming to an end with the upcoming film, Thunderbolts. The ensemble superhero film is critical for a franchise that has seen more misses than hits since its glory days four years ago, when the Infinity Saga came to an end with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Thunderbolts recently had its first test screenings, and if insiders are to be believed, the response is overwhelmingly positive. (Also read: Thunderbolts Big Game Trailer: Bucky recruits a team of villains to replace Avengers, Sentry makes explosive MCU debut)
Thunderbolts first reactions
Industry insider Chad Ryan, better known by his Twitter handle The GeekyCast, had tweeted in November last year that the film had its first test screenings before the reshoots. The tweet mentioned that “The latest test screenings of ‘THUNDERBOLTS*’ have been very positive,” as well as “The film has similar tones to those of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The action scenes are amazing.”
Many of Ryan’s claims in the past have been accurate but many still took this info with a pinch of salt given that most recent Marvel films have been praised in such early reports, only to turn out being bad upon theatrical release (think Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels).
However, new leaks seem to have substantiated these early claims. Reshoots for the film concluded last month, and new test screenings have taken place since then. Pop culture aficionado Jenkins Peeler recently posted a video stating that many viewers called Thunderbolts ‘one of the best Marvel movies in years’. He added that the film got one of the highest test screening scores among all MCU Phase V projects. However, one must note that most Phase V films have not been critical successes so the bar is rather low there. But still, the tag of one of the best Marvel films in years must inspire some hope in Marvel Studios and Disney.
All about Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts, directed by Jake Schreier, brings together Marvel’s famous antihero team. The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. It will be released in India on May 1 and globally on May 2.
