Thunderbolts Shocks Fans: Scores Third-Highest MCU Rating on Rotten Tomatoes!

The film Thunderbolts* from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the top-rated MCU films on Rotten Tomatoes. It boasts an audience score that surpasses its already favorable critic score. Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* narrates a compact tale focused on six anti-heroes and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, diving deep into the psychological aspects of its main characters who find common ground in their personal challenges.

Released on May 2, 2025, Thunderbolts* premiered with a critics score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, matching the score of Spider-Man: Far From Home and only slightly below the scores of Spider-Man: No Way Home at 97% and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at 98%. Moreover, it edges out the 94% audience score of Deadpool & Wolverine by a point. At its debut, Thunderbolts* was declared Certified Fresh with a Tomatometer of 88% and Certified Hot with a Popcornmeter of 95%.

Understanding the Significance of Thunderbolts* RT Audience Score

Thunderbolts* Stands Out in the Multiverse Saga’s Top Ratings

With an impressive audience score of 95% and critics score of 88%, Thunderbolts* has set a new benchmark as the highest-rated movie of Phase 5. This surpasses the previous record held by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which achieved a 93% audience score and 84% critics score, followed closely by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a 94% audience score and 82% critics score. Within the Multiverse Saga, Thunderbolts* ranks third highest, both in terms of Tomatometer and Popcornmeter. In the overarching MCU rankings, Thunderbolts* claims the fourteenth position, outperforming Avengers: Infinity War in both audience and critics scores.

Analyzing the Thunderbolts* RT Audience Score

The Exceptional Achievement of Thunderbolts*’s High Ratings

Marvel films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Deadpool & Wolverine were eagerly awaited even before the release of their trailers, as the premise alone promised to unveil many aspects of the MCU. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine fulfilled their promise by featuring multiversal team-ups and cameos, while Spider-Man: Far From Home served as an epilogue to the Infinity Saga post Avengers: Endgame. Among the top five MCU movies with the highest Popcornmeter, only Thunderbolts* and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings achieved high audience scores without any prior hints of universal or multiversal implications.

Despite some drawbacks like Taskmaster’s minimal role in the storyline, Thunderbolts* sidesteps many common pitfalls of MCU films, such as out-of-place humor and overdone action sequences. Thunderbolts* delivers significant emotional impact with its focus on mental health themes, and its standalone story offers more replay value compared to other entries in the Multiverse Saga. However, the film does not completely sever ties with the broader MCU narrative, as evidenced by Thunderbolts*‘s post-credits scene, which serves as a major setup for Avengers: Doomsday, and its easter eggs that hint at future MCU events.