Peter Debruge of Variety writes that the blockbuster balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns and relies on deep knowledge of obscure characters (better get to watching those Marvel movies in order) to make sense of the MCU going forward. Debruge agrees with the others that it’s Florence Pugh’s film, writing:

Ultimately, when some talk about the revival of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Thunderbolts*" may get the credit for starting it all.

Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus also star in Jake Schreier’s account of dysfunctional outsiders teaming up to tap into their heroic potential.