Early Thunderbolts reviews revealed — we've got a deep Marvel movie on our hands
Everyone is Thunder-struck about Thunderbolts...
Marvel’s Thunderbolts just had its European premiere screening at London’s Cineworld Leicester Square.
We weren’t there this time, but plenty of other folks were. And Marvel also held additional screenings for the megafans and influencers out there.
Some of them have let loose on social media to let the world know what they think of Thunderbolts. And, so far, it’s all pretty positive.
Disclaimer: these early social media reviews are never an ideal way to judge a film. Influencers, bloggers and YouTubers are, perhaps sensibly, aware they get invited to these things as part of the hype cycle of a film — not as pro critics.
However, they did have some interesting impressions this time around. There’s a lot of comment about how Thunderbolts has a significant focus on mental health as a theme.
One X post that really makes us want to get into the cinema and see the film comes from YouTuber Sean Chandler.
I really dug #Thunderbolts!
It’s overtly about depression, loneliness & purpose. The whole point is they're reject characters.
2/3rds mostly ground action and 1/3rd a horror influenced nightmare
Feels like the MCU is coming together and building towards something again pic.twitter.com/GuauFhAgSL
— Sean Chandler (@kirkneverdied) April 23, 2025
Mia Pfluger digs a little deeper into those darker themes, suggesting the concept of the Thunderbolts as reject antiheroes has some actual weight to it.
#Thunderbolts* big strength is that it understands the void, the dark- and emptiness and everything that comes with it. They all face their past, relive loss and traumatic experiences that shapes them all into the characters we come to know them as and grounds them immensely. pic.twitter.com/9KpyDoUJ9E
— Mia Pflüger (@justmiaslife) April 22, 2025
Rendy Jones also comments on how Thunderbolts approaches mental health as a theme:
THUNDERBOLTS: finally a Marvel movie that treats mental health and depression as a serious matter and not like undercutting it for the sake of a quip. A legit good character ensemble piece with a compelling Florence Pugh & Lewis Pullman performance in the center. Yay. I liked it. pic.twitter.com/bBzJQtJPRb
— Rendy Jones (@rendy_jones) April 23, 2025
There was also some of the classic social media gushing, courtesy of Chris Gallardo, who makes the film sound like the greatest thing you’ll ever see. It probably isn’t, but who knows:
THUNDERBOLTS: it was AMAZING, SHOCKING, and AWESOME in every way. Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman are absolutely STELLAR in this film and they're the highlights of the movie. Also, that asterisk reveal will SURPRISE you and make sure to stick for BOTH POST CREDITS. #Thunderboltspic.twitter.com/qJpZPjyzHY
— Chris Gallardo(@chrisagwrites) April 23, 2025
The social media reaction that had the greatest impact on us, though, came from YouTuber Cris Parker. He explains how someone nearby was live-translating the whole film into Spanish, live. Maybe it’s time to close all cinemas. They had a good run.
Good movie aside #Thunderbolts unlocked a new WORST theater experience& you’re not gonna believe this…
Had an adult daughter w/ her dad behind me & she was translating the movie from English to Spanish line for line THE WHOLE MOVIE
Thunderbolts is out on May 2, and it’s directed by Jake Schrier. Having more of a human bent to it than most Marvel movies makes sense in this context, given Schrier’s previous projects include things like TV show Beef, 2012’s Robot & Frank and earnest teen comedy Paper Towns.