A recent Thunderbolts* review update may be a good sign for Marvel fans.
Before the MCU dips its toes back into the Marvel Multiverse with this summer's Fantastic Four, the super-powered franchise will take audiences on a more grounded journey with the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie.
Based on the comic book team of the same name, the Thunderbolts serve as the almost anti-Avengers. They are a group of some of the franchise's less desirable heroes brought together to get their hands dirty where Earth's Mightiest Heroes would not.
Thunderbolts* Review Embargo Update Will Drop Weeks Before Movie's Release
MCU fans are gleaming, as a new Thunderbolts* review update may give away key information about the quality of the film.
Thunderbolts* News on X confirmed the official Thunderbolts* social reaction and review embargo online. The first social reactions to the film will go live on Tuesday, April 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET, with full reviews following a week later on Tuesday, April 29, at noon ET.
What is notable about these times is how far in advance they are compared to the movie's official theatrical release.
Thunderbolts* is set to hit theaters worldwide on Friday, May 2, meaning these first reactions will start to pop up more than two weeks before it is even out in theaters.
This is a dramatic change from recent Disney and Marvel Studios projects, which have (for the most part) kept their review cards close to the vest until several days before release, and could mean the movie is being looked at fondly internally.
In fact, this is the longest gap between a social reaction embargo and a theatrical release date for a Marvel Studios project since 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Why Thunderbolts' Review Embargo Is a Good Sign For MCU Fans
While not confirming Thunderbolts*'s quality, allowing critics to share their thoughts on the movie this far in advance likely indicates that Marvel Studios is confident in the film.
If Marvel were worried about how Thunderbolts* would fare with critics, it would have kept its embargo right up until close to release so that potential adverse reactions do not stunt the potential momentum of the movie heading into its opening weekend.
Putting these embargo dates as far out as Marvel has likely means that the super-powered studio is confident in Thunderbolts* and knows the earlier it can get people talking about the movie, the better.
Thunderbolts* has been compared to movies like Guardians 3 coming out of test screening (read more about the Thunderbolts* test screening early reactions here), which means Marvel Studios may have another hit on its hands and knows it.
If Thunderbolts* is as good as this review update seems to indicate it is, Marvel will almost surely breathe a collective sigh of relief.
The MCU's theatrical efforts stumbled out of the gates in 2025 with Captain America: Brave New World. The latest Captain America sequel was critically maligned and did not light the world on fire financially either.
And with big names like Fantastic Four and two Avengers movies on the horizon, winning fans back over with a hit like Thunderbolts* might be the best thing for the franchise moving into this critical next 18 months.
Another reason why getting the conversation surrounding the movie started as early as the studios seem to be is the relative lack of name recognition around the heroes it centers on.
The Thunderbolts name does not have the cachet of something like the Avengers, Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man. The characters that make up the movie's superhero squad are more well-known by the actors who play them rather than by the comic book heroes themselves.
If Marvel knows the movie is good, then getting that word out sooner rather than later is a good idea so that people who were not interested in the movie—because they have no history with the characters in the film—can become aware that this is something that needs to be seen on the big screen.
