When is Thunderbolts* Out? New Marvel film release date, cast, plot, asterisk - is there a post-credit stinger?

It’s the sixth film of the fifth phase of the MCU saga and follows a series of entries that have underwhelmed both critics and audiences, most recently this year’s Captain America: Brave New World. Only 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine has broken the series of disappointments for the studio.

But Thunderbolts* has been fairly well received thusfar, with particular praise reserved for Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova - the character last seen in 2021’s Black Widow.

When is Thunderbolts* released?

You can catch the film in cinemas from Thursday, May 1. Pretty much every multiplex in the country will have countless screenings of it throughout the day.

Why is there an asterisk in the title of Thunderbolts*?

The asterisk on the poster refers to a disclaimer that ‘The Avengers are not available’, alerting the audience that the Thunderbolts are stepping into the world-saving void left by the absence of the superhero A team.

What’s the cast of Thunderbolts*?

Here’s who plays all the named parts in the superhero movie:

Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier

Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster

Lewis Pullman as Bob / Sentry / Void

Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel

David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian

Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov

Wendell Pierce as Congressman Gary

Alexa Swinton as Anya

Eric Lange as Houston

Chiara Stella as Young Valentina

Stefano Carannante as Valentina's Father

Gianfranco Terrin as Nico

What’s the plot of Thunderbolts*?

Thunderbolts* follows 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?

Is there a post-credits stinger in Thunderbolts*?

As any Marvel fan knows, you don’t leave the cinema until all the credits roll.

That’s certainly the case with Thunderbolts*, with an amusing mid-credit scene, followed by a more interesting post-credit scene. No spoliers, but you won’t want to miss it.

What’s the next MCU film set to be released?

The next Marvel film t be released, and the last of 2025, will be The Fantastic Four: First Steps - it will be out on July 25.

When can I watch Thunderbolts* at home?

If you don’t want to go to the cinema to see Thunderbolts* then you’re likely to face a fairly long wait for it to arrive on streaming. All the Marvel films end up on Disney+ but it usually takes at least three months, and sometime as long as eight. Don’t expect it to be available until August at the earliest.