Thunderbolts* exact release time on Disney Plus (by each time zone)

When we look back at the best movies of the summer, Thunderbolts* will definitely have a place on that list. The Marvel Studios movie surprised audiences in May with its thoughtful storytelling and thoroughly entertaining storyline to offer up what is quite frankly one of the best movies of the whole year (and it will no doubt remain so at the end of 2025).

With a star-studded cast of familiar Marvel faces and a deceptively important plot that made it one of the most important movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga, the 36th movie in the franchise received critical acclaim the likes of which the MCU hadn't had in quite some time. Although it didn't perform as well at the box office as the studio hoped, it has earned itself a place among the franchise's fans as one of the best Marvel movies ever made. It also reinvigorated the Multiverse Saga right before its big Avengers movies next year - something that was extremely necessary.

The film is now set to make its debut on Disney Plus after an unexpectedly long wait. Needless to say, fans who have seen the movie are excited to revisit it while those who haven't watched yet are ready to view for the first time. If you'd like to know when exactly you can watch it in your region, let's dive into it!

When Thunderbolts* comes out on Disney Plus where you live

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* arrives on Disney Plus in the US on Wednesday, August 27, at 12:00 am PT and 3:00 a.m. ET. That means viewers in the West Coast can watch it at midnight while fans on the East Coast might have to stay up a little bit later.

What does that mean for fans watching around the world? Well, just like with the streamer's earlier original shows, the movie will be released at that time around the world simultaneously. If you're planning on staying up to watch it, here's when you can expect it in your time zone.

Hawaii: 9:00 p.m. HST on Wednesday, August 27
Alaska: 11:00 p.m. AKDT on Wednesday, August 27
West Coast of the US: 12:00 a.m. PT on Thursday, August 27
Mountain time: 1:00 a.m. MT on Thursday, August 27
Midwest of the US: 2:00 a.m. CT on Thursday, August 27
East Coast of the US: 3:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 27
Brazil: 4:00 a.m. BRT on Thursday, August 27
UK: 8:00 am BST on Thursday, August 27
France: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Thursday, September 8
Germany: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Thursday, September 8
Italy: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Thursday, September 8
Spain: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Thursday, September 8
India: 1:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, September 8
South Korea: 4:00 p.m. KST on Thursday, September 8
Japan: 4:00 p.m. KST on Thursday, September 8
Sydney, Australia: 5:00 p.m. AEST on Thursday, September 8

Considering that Disney Plus has released new episodes of its original shows during primetime in the US in recent years, these release times might seem unexpected to newer fans. However, the movie releases often line up with the streamer's old release format of dropping new titles at midnight PT. And therefore, the moment that Wednesday, August 27, arrives on the West Coast, Thunderbolts* will be available to stream worldwide.

What Thunderbolts* is about and which MCU stars return

Thunderbolts* is a very unique story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to tell, as it explores a number of shadow ops agents assigned a task unlike any other they have had before: To take out each other. Having all worked for Contessa Valentine Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) are all tricked by Valentina herself to enter a vault and take each other out. There, they meet the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman), who asks them about themselves and what their missions are.

Upon realizing that they have been set up by the corrupt congresswoman, they attempt to break out of the trap, survive, and save the world from her dastardly master plan. They also pick up some more help along the way, recruiting Yelena's father Alexei Shostakov a.k.a. the Red Guardian (David Harbour) and the Winter Soldier himself, Bucky Barnes, (Sebastian Stan) to help them pull it off.

The movie poses its protagonists with the notion of whether villains (or, as they put it: "losers") are actually capable of being heroes. And honestly, the discussion around that and the realization that they all come to provides us with some of the greatest moments of the MCU of all time.

Every Marvel movie and show to watch before Thunderbolts*

Although Thunderbolts* is very much a movie that starts a brand new chapter for the MCU, it is still an MCU movie that brings back a multitude of familiar faces. With that in mind, there are, of course, there are Marvel Studios movies and TV shows that should be watched prior to viewing Thunderbolts* for the full MCU experience.

Let's go through them, focusing on the highest priorities first. The first three are necessary to understanding who some of the film's characters are while the other four are welcome additions that provide a little more context to some of the film's story elements.

Just like The Avengers before it, Thunderbolts* is one of the best examples of an MCU story coming together, bringing multiple ongoing stories to a head at the same time and delivering one of the best payoffs in the franchise's history.