Marvel Studios took an ambitious swing in 2025, as it tried to get the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise back on track. Three Marvel films hit theaters between the winter and summer stretch, and each one came with its own fair share of criticisms, as well as some less-than-stellar box office returns to sift through. However, it doesn’t feel like a controversial statement to say that there was one clear frontrunner among Marvel’s 2025 films, which is why many fans will be thrilled to learn that it’s now available to stream on Disney+.
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Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers) is now streaming on Disney+. It is the second Marvel Studios movie to hit the streaming platform this year, following the streaming release of Captain America: Brave New World in late May (after its theatrical release in February). Based on that pattern, it would be fair to speculate that Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on Disney+ around Halloween.
I Think Thunderbolts* Was The Best Superhero Movie of 2025 (Here’s Why)
After three Marvel films and one DC release (Superman) in 2025, the debate about which film was the “best” is ongoing. While many fans (and newcomers) approved of director James Gunn’s handling of Superman’s reboot, and the launch of a whole new DC Universe franchise, Thunderbolts* stands the test of time a bit better as a cohesive cinematic experience and story. It has a strong thematic throughline about mental health and self-worth, and while it may only speak to a more mature crowd (see below), it definitely feels like it has something more relevant to say than Superman’s “Make nice cool again” mantra. Thunderbolts* scrapes together fragments of so many other MCU projects, and remixes those peripheral characters into an engaging ensemble that (by the end) feels worthy of the franchise name *New Avengers. Meanwhile, the DCU can’t even get Superman’s place in its timeline figured out yet.
Is Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Okay For Kids to Watch?
Marvel Studios maintains a PG-13 rating for most of its projects, and most parents with kids 7 or above have grown comfortable with the level of violence or foul language you get with the typical MCU release (which isn’t that much). However, while Thunderbolts* is rated PG-13, it is NOT a film that is suitable for children – or even pre-teens, for that matter.
The issue with Thunderbolts* is that the film delves pretty deep into themes of mental illness and specifically depression. Some sequences are clear metaphors for addiction, self-harm, or suicidal tendencies. Other sequences late in the film skirt around ideas of abuse (domestic and childhood) that are dark and uncomfortable for adults, and are definitely not the kind of subject matter parents want their kids exposed to. Bottom line: Thunderbolts* is not a Marvel movie for kids.
Is Thunderbolts* A Good Movie?
ComicBook’s review of Thunderbolts* was somewhat split, as critic Spencer Perry argued that the film required too much other MCU “homework” viewing to fully engage with: “Much of Thunderbolts* feels uninspired, assembled from pieces of other shows and stories tied together in a way that makes sense but often breezes by too quickly for you to really think about,” Perry wrote. “Like almost every other Marvel movie, there is serviceable action that is balanced with funny banter from the charming cast (coupled with some stunts that are choreographed in a room filled with smoke, making it nearly impossible to see), but that can only get you so far in a post-Avengers: Endgame world.
That all said, opinion about Thunderbolts* seems to have grown more favorable since the remainder of the 2025 comic book movies have hit (Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts). The same can be said about the intrigue of the movie’s director, Jake Schreier, who is already working on Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot film. So even if you weren’t sold on Thunderbolts* based on its story premise, any X-Men should naturally want to see how Schreier juggles an ensemble of superpowered characters.
It’s been a pretty consistent opinion amongst fans that the core cast of Thunderbolts* is fun to watch, as they bounce banter and jabs off of one another. The breakout star of the film is no doubt Florence Pugh (Midsommar), who returns as her Black Widow character, Yelena Belova, finally dealing with the mental and emotional fallout of the last few years. Right behind Pugh is David Harbour (Stranger Things), who also reprises his Black Widow character, Red Guardian, and provides the comedic backbone of the film. Wyatt Russell’s John Walker returns after his debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and arguably walks away from the film holding the MCU’s “Most Improved Player” badge with his layered performance. Julia Louis-Dreyfus finally gets to do more comedic work than her small cameos as “Val,” while Lewis Pullman scores a breakout debut playing the mysterious “Bob,” and all the game-changing reveals that come with his arc.
How to Watch Thunderbolts* on Streaming
You can stream Thunderbolts* on Disney+ for the regular cost of a subscription as of today.
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