The Thunderbolts* Release Date Breaks A 13-Year MCU Trend, And Now I’m Even More Convinced The Marvel Movie Will Be Great

The MCU’s next slated release has some big expectations to meet, but the fact that Thunderbolts* is breaking a 13-year franchise trend bodes well for the film. Now less than a month away from its release, fans will be able to watch Thunderbolts* in theaters starting on May 2. Coming after Captain America: Brave New World and before the highly-anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps, some fans may have ᴀssumed that Thunderbolts* would fly under the radar in terms of the MCU’s 2025 slate. However, excitement for the film has been ramping up.

Thunderbolts* was an unconventional concept from the start, as no other MCU project has put such a focus on anti-heroes thus far. Headed by longtime Marvel character Bucky Barnes, the group will be composed of Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost, and Taskmaster. Unlike other iconic Marvel teams, none of the characters in this group are necessarily known for their heroics. Thunderbolts* is going to give them the chance to step up, and that concept has seemed to appeal to fans as anticipation starts to grow.

Thunderbolts* Is The First Non-Sequel Marvel Movie Released In May Since The Avengers In 2012

The impending release of Thunderbolts* is actually going to break an MCU trend. With its May slot, it will be the first non-sequel Marvel movie to release in that month since 2012’s Avengers. Although that doesn’t seem like a particularly significant statistic, it’s a telling one considering how the MCU slate has played out since Phase 1. The MCU started in May 2008 with Iron Man, and the sequel was released two years later in May 2010. Thor was then released a year later in May 2011, then The Avengers in May 2012.

MCU Film

Release Date

Iron Man

May 2, 2008

Iron Man 2

May 7, 2010

Thor

May 6, 2011

The Avengers

May 4, 2012

Iron Man 3

May 3, 2013

Avengers: Age of Ultron

May 1, 2015

Captain America: Civil War

May 6, 2016

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

May 5, 2017

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

May 6, 2022

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

May 5, 2023

Thunderbolts*

May 2, 2025

Avengers: Doomsday

May 1, 2026

Avengers: Secret Wars

May 7, 2027

As the MCU has progressed, other May releases have included sequels to the studio’s biggest franchises. The Avengers and Captain America sequels were released in May, and eventually so were both of the Guardians of the Galaxy sequels after the success of the original film. Both upcoming Avengers films will also have May releases in 2026 and 2027 respectively. In fact, Avengers: Doomsday will premiere one day off an exact year from Thunderbolts*. It’s not a coincidence that all of these heavy hitters were released in May, which is why it bodes well for Thunderbolts* despite it not being a sequel.

Why Thunderbolts*’s May Release Date Is So Significant


Ghost, Yelena, US Agent and Red Guardian in Thunderbolts*

May seems to be the month that Marvel has saved for films that they expect to perform, considering that most of the films that premiere in the month are sequels. Major franchises like Avengers, Captain America, and Guardians of the Galaxy are three of the studio’s most popular, and Marvel can rely on them to bring in their established fanbases. The fact that Thunderbolts* has received a May release date may not seem important, but based on the MCU’s past release schedule, it says a lot about the studio’s confidence in the film’s success.

Marvel and Disney likely wouldn’t have given the film their prime release month if they didn’t have faith that it would perform well. It’s a big feat for a film like Thunderbolts* because although it will feature returning MCU characters, it is a brand-new story. Marvel cannot bank on the previous fanbase coming in, so they’re relying mostly on the film’s quality. Perhaps the studio sees potential in Thunderbolts* becoming a franchise of its own in the future and is priming them for the coveted May release slot as soon as possible.

Upcoming MCU Movies



  • Thunderbolts (2025) Official Poster

    Thunderbolts*

    Release Date

    May 2, 2025







  • 01593277_poster_w780.jpg

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    Release Date

    July 25, 2025







  • Avengers 5 Concept Poster

    Avengers: Doomsday (2026)








  • Spider-Man Homecoming Mondo Poster

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day

    Release Date

    July 31, 2026







  • Avengers: Secret Wars

    Release Date

    May 7, 2027





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