Thunderbolts*

is setting itself up as a different kind of Marvel movie, and one that seems to be grabbing the attention of audiences ahead of its May release as the last film in Phase 5 of the MCU. However, some people will be lucky enough to get to see the movie two weeks ahead of its official release date with a wave of special screenings that are taking place on April 22 in various cities around the U.S.
Marvel Studios is well-known for making sure people don’t see their new movies early, even cutting some scenes from premieres in order to prevent spoilers spilling out onto the internet from blabbermouth reporters on social media. However, it looks like this time around there is a massive wave of confidence about how well Thunderbolts* is going to perform, so much so that they have made the unprecedented move of giving regular cinemagoers the chance to see the film well before its May 2 release and potentially tell the world about it.

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10 special screenings were originally announced in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Philidelphia, and Austin, but people had to be quick to get their hands on tickets as they all sold out in around 20 minutes. And people still believe that the MCU is a dead franchise.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Could Be One of the Most Unexpected Marvel Hits

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

There are some movies that are announced in the middle of some big-name Marvel offerings and don’t quite gain the same instant level of hype. Thunderbolts* is one such film. Arriving between Anthony Mackie’s Captain America debut and The Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts* seemed, on the surface, to be quite a low-level film, featuring a mish-mash of characters that had either been forgotten or were never quite on the same level as other heroes and villains of the franchise.
However, that could almost be the same as Guardians of the Galaxy and DC’s The Suicide Squad. While those movies had James Gunn behind them, they also featured groups of mostly unknown or underused characters that seemed unlikely to deliver a hit. Now, it looks like Thunderbolts* could be one of the big surprises of 2025’s early summer box office arrivals.
Box office projections for the movie have not been that encouraging, with early reports suggesting the film is aiming at around a $60-80 million opening weekend. This would put it below the $88 million of Captain America: Brave New World. However, with marketing now in full-swing, and some movies recently defying projections, there is still a chance that a positive wave of reviews could drive audiences to see Thunderbolts* in cinemas, and not just wait for it arriving on Disney+ later in the year.
For now, fans can look forward to the Thunderbolts* coming together in May (or earlier if you were lucky enough to grab a ticket for April 22’s screenings). Featuring an incredibly talented ensemble with the likes of Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, the gritter movie could well sway some of those who have drifted away from the MCU to come back and give it a shot.
Source: X

Thunderbolts*

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

126 Minutes

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe