THUNDERBOLTS* Poll Results: Find Out What CBM Readers Made Of "The New Avengers"

A few weeks ago, we asked you to let us know what you made of the latest Marvel Studios movie, Thunderbolts*, and the poll results are now in...

News

By MarkCassidy - May 23, 2025 01:05 PM EST

Filed Under: Thunderbolts

Shortly after Thunderbolts* hit theaters, we asked you to let us know what you made of the latest MCU movie by casting your vote in a poll, and the results are now in.

2496 of you voted, and this was the most positive response to any polled movie we've seen in quite some time.

With 1100 votes, 44% of you felt that Thunderbolts* was excellent, 5/5; 37% said very good, 4/5; 12% said good, 3/5; 4% said disappointing, 2/5, and only 3% voted for awful, 1/5.

The majority of fans were clearly won over by Marvel Studios' latest, which also received positive reviews from critics (88% on Rotten Tomatoes). Unfortunately, cinema-goers haven't shown quite as much enthusiasm.

Despite Marvel's "The New Avengers" rebrand giving ticket sales a boost, momentum has slowed over the past week or so. Thunderbolts* is currently sitting at around $331 million worldwide on a reported production budget of $180 million. Taking additional costs into account, the movie really needs to pass $400 million (some would say closer to $450M) to even sniff a profit.

Even so, this isn't a terrible result for a movie featuring a bunch of B and C-list characters and very little in the way of star power. A direct sequel was probably never very likely, anyway, since the New Avengers will now join the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Marvel Studios’ T̶h̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶b̶o̶l̶t̶s̶* are now #TheNewAvengers ️⚡️

See it again in theaters while you still can! Get tickets: https://t.co/bFq0RNeRhc pic.twitter.com/Hqi8467ltc
— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) May 22, 2025

SuperSurvey

Marvel Studios’ #Thunderbolts* is the #1 movie in the world.

Get your tickets now: https://t.co/bFq0RNeRhc pic.twitter.com/34aIm3u0SH
— Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) May 4, 2025

In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?

Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Edward Pierce.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.

THUNDERBOLTS* Concept Art Reveals Some Bold Alternate Takes On Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova

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39 Comments

harryba11zack - 5/23/2025, 1:32 PM

RegularPoochie - 5/23/2025, 1:44 PM

@harryba11zack -

GeneralZod - 5/23/2025, 2:26 PM

@harryba11zack - I always thought that was Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake on sax.

ObserverIO - 5/23/2025, 3:06 PM

@harryba11zack - I still believe!

harryba11zack - 5/23/2025, 3:16 PM

@ObserverIO -

ObserverIO - 5/23/2025, 3:31 PM

@harryba11zack - That is [frick]ing hilarious. The Schumacher Cut!

RegularPoochie - 5/23/2025, 1:41 PM

It was good, best MCU for a while. This was also just an introduction for Sentry and people go "too little screen time baa baa" and what not. It did what it was supposed to do with him, begging for more of him. I would understand, if this was a Sentry solo movie, but the movie wasn't about Sentry.

Fogs - 5/23/2025, 1:43 PM

5/5 is a bit too much. It was good, but when compared to the greater MCU stuff I'd never rate it over 4.

RegularPoochie - 5/23/2025, 1:48 PM

@Fogs - I gave it 3,5, it was just a breath of fresh air. It can change when I'll watch it again on D+ later.

ObserverIO - 5/23/2025, 3:09 PM

@Fogs - I think people are just desperate for Marvel to return to form. So anything that's simply not bad is suddenly the return to form they've been looking for.

ObserverIO - 5/23/2025, 3:09 PM

@RegularPoochie - I gave it 3/5 too. Right in the middle. Good but nothing special.

cubichy - 5/23/2025, 1:56 PM

"Thunderbolts" ultimately failed to resonate as a major Marvel hit largely because its team consists of secondary and lesser-known characters, rather than the iconic, primary heroes that audiences are deeply invested in. Unlike "The Avengers," which united some of the most recognizable and beloved figures in the MCU, "Thunderbolts" assembled a roster of antiheroes and supporting characters who lack the star power and established fan base to generate widespread excitement. Many viewers found the team underwhelming and struggled to connect with their stories, as these characters are often perceived as "B-list" or even tertiary within the Marvel universe. This lack of familiarity and emotional investment made it difficult for the film to achieve the same cultural impact or box office success as earlier ensemble movies, underscoring the challenge of building a blockbuster franchise around heroes who are not seen as central to the MCU’s legacy. Also, no big-bad. We the mcu geeks, liked it, but the general audience did not. Thats why the MCU needs to kick Sam and return steve rogers as captain America and Tony Stark as iron man until they get it, new mcu movies will tank.

Fogs - 5/23/2025, 1:58 PM

@cubichy - I wouldn't be so sure about the big bad. The non geeks I know who watched it all liked the villain and the whole mindbending confrontation.

RegularPoochie - 5/23/2025, 2:11 PM

@cubichy - what I've heard and read it's the exact opposite what you just said.

cubichy - 5/23/2025, 2:44 PM

@Fogs - could be but no way enough non geeks watched it....

cubichy - 5/23/2025, 2:48 PM

@RegularPoochie - the exact opposite is phase 1 and 2, and those killed it, so no. Additionally, if it's the opposite then the movie would be a billion dollars and it isn't, why, cause the general audiences don't know these people and are not interested in investing $$$ and time, so no. I do hope they find their mojo though......

Fogs - 5/23/2025, 3:59 PM

@cubichy - yeah, that's a fact

Evansly - 5/23/2025, 2:05 PM

I'd give it a 4/5. Enjoyed it a lot compared to most things in Phase 4 & 5

KennKathleen - 5/23/2025, 2:29 PM

@Evansly - what's third & fourth on your list of top tier things in phase 4 & 5?

Evansly - 5/23/2025, 2:39 PM

@KennKathleen - I'd put Werewolf by Night as #1 I would have to rewatch Thunderbolts to see if I put GotG 3 above or below it

Evansly - 5/23/2025, 2:41 PM

@KennKathleen - Spider-Man No Way Home would probably follow those. I know Deadpool and Wolverine isn't the best movie but it's a lot of fun and I'd put that below Spider-man

TheVisionary25 - 5/23/2025, 2:27 PM

It’s a solid movie that I wish was honestly a bit longer so they could flesh out aspects of it even more such as Sentry’s turn against Val and to a lesser extent , even Yelena & Bob’s relationship.

There were nice character moments though and I did like all of them fairly equally tbh..

The action worked for me as well as the humor for the most part.

The mental health message did hit home for me and honestly got me a tad emotional also towards the end.

I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 tbh.

CreateNowSlpL8r - 5/23/2025, 2:44 PM

I thought they missed a real opportunty to be unique and dive into the trauma of these characters. I knew it would be in trouble if they centered it around Yelena. She isn't even offensive, shes just boring. They then assigned everyone the basic roles of a group movie:

Yelena is the reluctant leader with a troubled past
Walker is the loser everyone makes fun of
Ghost is the B*
Red Guardian is the sad, funny clown
Bucky is the stright man (in the comedic sense)
Val is basically a knock off Amanda Whaller

They spend too much time in that vault too. I wanted them to dig into the mental illness aspect more. THey could have really distanced themselves from Guardians or SS comparisons. Instead, we got a film that tried to be everything.

GeneralZod - 5/23/2025, 2:49 PM

@CreateNowSlpL8r - I like Florence Pugh a lot. She has screen presence. But you're right that she can't carry the film. The real disappointment was how misused Bucky was. Bucky/Sebastian Stan are the only Phase 2/3 carry-overs, and highly liked. Why was he relegated to third tier? It should have been Yelena and Bucky forging a partnership with US Agent and Red Guardian providing support. Ghost never should have been in the movie, and why the [frick] put in Taskmaster (she/her/her) -- who NO ONE GAF about -- if you're going to kill her that quickly? I suspect in the original cut, there was a lot more Taskmaster (*cough* DEI).

GeneralZod - 5/23/2025, 2:50 PM

@CreateNowSlpL8r - EDIT -- they are so caught up in their DEI guidelines that they can't have a script without an equal amount of women (or weight of influence of women) in one of their films. Hence, alpha Sue Storm + gender-swapped Silver Sufer (she/her/hers). And they continue to lose the main audience. hmmm, i wonder why?

CreateNowSlpL8r - 5/23/2025, 3:02 PM

@GeneralZod - I agree 100%. I dont know how they can continue to flop and keep going. It doesnt make any sense to me. I dont know how they keep fooling investors on this stuff. They havent gotten a Star Wars movie out in year and even the Disney brand (Snow White) is throwing up bombs. They have had some great successes, maybe that is what is keeping them afloat.

GeneralZod - 5/23/2025, 5:41 PM

@CreateNowSlpL8r - They are crushing it with animation. Wicked also did very well.

Usernametaken - 5/23/2025, 6:44 PM

@CreateNowSlpL8r - Yelena isn't boring, she's the heart of the movie.

More diving into the trauma would have made the movie less entertaining (and this movie is already enough of a psychological movie), they spend more than enough time exploring the psyche of the characters, everything is very clear. Only Ghost was missing a backstory scene to explain her motivations better.

The vault is where they have to work together to learn to trust each other, and each scenes were great.
Bucky is not a "straight man", he's the one who already went through the redemption arc that the others are so desperate to go through. That's why HIM giving the characters a second chance is crucial to the story, he's the role model and validation they need to keep going. Also, his introduction scene is more badass than the entire Cap 4 movie. Just perfect.

Thunderbolts was very much not the typical blockbuster that Hollywood keep feeding us, it gave us very human characters by not shying away from the imperfections of each characters.

I'm still amazed that they actually made that movie, this is a movie about depression, failures, altruism, redemption, the naivity of heroism and idealism. All disguised as a blockbuster.

4/5 for me, and as a MCU movie, It's clearly one of the best ever made, just because there is no other MCU movies remotely close to what they tried to achieve with this movie, and it will never be replicated again.

It's one of those movie that 3 to 5 years later, people will appreciate it more and more. Just because there is nothing else out there that successfully tackled all those themes while being wraped up into an action movie.

GeneralZod - 5/23/2025, 2:44 PM

2.5/5 for me. It was totally mid, and lacked a "cool" factor. First half of the movie was way longer than it needed to be and plodded. Two needless DEI characters were distracting (the fact that they offed one of them in the first 10 mins or so is telling). Yelena and Bucky needed to be shown as co-leads. Bucky was so relegated as a 3rd tier back-up, which was a total wasted opportunity for an audience-loved Phase 2/3 character + actor. I think John Walker had more screen time than Bucky and, man, Wyatt Russell is not a good actor (pains me to say it because his dad is legend). The last quarter of Thunderbolts saved the movie -- end was good. Would I see this movie a second time? No. Maybe FF to the last half hour.

Usernametaken - 5/23/2025, 6:50 PM

@GeneralZod - Bucky is not a 3rd tier backup, he's crucial to the story because he already went through that villain to hero arc the other characters are going through. There is no need for him to be more than the seal of approval the team desperately needs to move forward.

This is easily the best use of Bucky since Winter Soldier.

jackbauer884 - 5/23/2025, 2:56 PM

It's a good movie, if you're a dpressive emo. But happy people will despise it.

String - 5/23/2025, 3:13 PM

I can name 2 MCU films I left the theater wondering what the hell did I just watch. They were 'Thor: Love and Thunder', 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'. I watched 'Brave New World' and 'The Marvels', and while they were okay, neither deserved a second visit to the theater. I went into 'Thunderbolts*' with high hopes due to its promotion and was pleasantly surprised. It met all my expectations and more. I went 5 times to the theater to watch it. That's more than I did with 'No Way Home' or 'Endgame'. I absolutely love this film. When it hits Disney+, I'll be watching over and over. This was a very well-done film. If others don't get it, that's okay. Those folks are the minority looking at every poll and review.

Regarding profitability, 'Thunderbolts*', won't make money. Right now, it's made $165.8M on a $180M budget. I do believe this film doesn't cost that much but until there is analysis on the true budget number, it's only speculative. The film needs another $28.4M to make its budget back. On top of Disney's promotion, which is normally about $100M, it's not going to reach $450M to break even. This isn't a flop like 'The Marvels' which made only half its budget back but at best 'Thunderbolts*' will be seen as a critical success but a financially marginal film which didn't catch on with a mass audience more inclined to see 'Sinners'.

WEAPONXOXOXO - 5/23/2025, 3:21 PM

People have spoken with their wallets.

SuperCat - 5/23/2025, 3:32 PM

SonOfAGif - 5/23/2025, 3:44 PM

@SuperCat - Wonder Woman would dog walk US Agent lol.

SuperCat - 5/23/2025, 3:48 PM

@SonOfAGif - LOL. Most def! He's still my favorite team member.

SonOfAGif - 5/23/2025, 3:49 PM

@SuperCat - Mine is Ghost.

URCOMMENTSUCKS - 5/23/2025, 5:32 PM

This movie was not ass cheeks, so kudos to the MCU for that. But it would've been far better and probably would be more popular if John Walker was the lead alongside Bucky and it was instead focused on their past trauma and grievances with each other instead of Yelena and Captain USSR.

You wanted this to be the New Avengers, so why aren't two characters who are most suited to be the New Avengers aren't the leads?

Other than that, nice movie.

PartyKiller - 5/23/2025, 7:15 PM

@URCOMMENTSUCKS - Unrealized potential.

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THUNDERBOLTS* Poll Results: Find Out What CBM Readers Made Of "The New Avengers"

A few weeks ago, we asked you to let us know what you made of the latest Marvel Studios movie, Thunderbolts*, and the poll results are now in...

THUNDERBOLTS* Concept Art Reveals Some Bold Alternate Takes On Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova

THUNDERBOLTS* Star Geraldine Viswanathan Looks A Lot More Like Songbird In Newly Released Photos

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.