Thunderbolts called best Marvel film on YouTube

A Marvel movie getting called “the best one nobody saw” is basically the whole post-Endgame problem in one sentence. The film here is Thunderbolts* — Marvel’s 2025 antihero team-up with Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and the rest of the franchise’s B-list damaged goods. (youtube.com) A Portuguese YouTube video from Canal PeeWee posted on May 7 pushed exactly that angle, arguing that Marvel finally made a good one and audiences still mostly shrugged. (rottentomatoes.com) That isn’t just fan hyperbole — the weird part is that the numbers and the reviews really do point in opposite directions. ### What actually happened on YouTube? Canal PeeWee uploaded a video titled “Thunderbolts” Foi o Melhor Filme da Marvel que NINGUÉM VIU — literally, “Thunderbolts was the best Marvel movie that nobody saw.” The description leans hard into the same thesis: Marvel stepped away from its biggest names, made a film many viewers considered its best release in a long time, and still struggled to get people interested enough to watch. (variety.com) ### Why did that framing catch on? Because it matches the broader reaction Thunderbolts* got when it opened in May 2025. Early reactions and later reviews kept circling the same idea — this was one of Marvel’s best films in years, with Florence Pugh as the standout and a simpler, more grounded team dynamic than a lot of recent MCU entries. (youtube.com) Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus says it “refreshingly returns” to the MCU’s better formula, which is not the kind of language Marvel had been getting consistently. ### So was the movie actually liked? Pretty clearly, yes. Rotten Tomatoes shows strong critic and audience reception, and opening-night moviegoers gave it an A- CinemaScore — a solid mark that beat the B- attached to Captain America: Brave New World earlier that year. (youtube.com) Even skeptical reviewers framed Thunderbolts* as a surprise rebound for Marvel rather than another franchise obligation. ### Then why does “nobody saw it” feel true? Because “well-liked” and “well-attended” were not the same thing. Box Office Mojo lists Thunderbolts* at $382.4 million worldwide, with $190.3 million domestic and a $74.3 million opening weekend in the U.S. That is not nothing, but inside Marvel math it was weak — especially for a film with a reported $180 million production budget before marketing. (editorial.rottentomatoes.com) ### Was it a flop or just disappointing? More disappointing than invisible, but the catch is that Marvel scale changes the definition of success. Variety called it one of the MCU’s lowest-grossing entries and noted that even strong word-of-mouth did not pull it out of the red. (rottentomatoes.com) IndieWire took a softer view early on, arguing the opening was decent enough if the movie held well. The split matters — people were debating not whether Thunderbolts* was good, but whether “good” still guarantees box office for Marvel. ### Why does this hit a Marvel nerve? Because Thunderbolts* exposes a newer problem than simple bad reviews. (boxofficemojo.com) For a while, Marvel could blame weak grosses on weak movies. But Thunderbolts* got the better notices and still hit a ceiling. Variety’s read was blunt: audiences have changed, superhero oversaturation is real, and lower-tier comic-book characters are no longer automatic theatrical events. ### Why do YouTubers love this kind of reevaluation? Because it gives them a clean argument with stakes. “Hidden gem” is a stronger hook than “pretty good movie.” And with Thunderbolts*, the contrast is unusually sharp — a movie now streaming on Disney+ and sold by Disney as part of the Marvel collection, yet still remembered as the one that earned respect more easily than tickets. (variety.com) ### Bottom line The PeeWee video matters because it names the contradiction people keep feeling around modern Marvel. Thunderbolts* seems to have been good enough to restart some faith in the studio — but not important enough to make mass audiences show up. That is a much harder problem to solve than just making a better movie. (variety.com) (youtube.com) (movies.disney.com)