The official title of Marvel’s latest movie, Thunderbolts, includes an asterisk (a style choice that is explained by the film itself), and the same symbol could be incorporated into many of the first official reviews. While most critics have praised the film as a return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following the nadir of Captain America: Brave New World, the praise comes with a fair share of caveats.

For instance, Indiewire critic David Ehrlich called Thunderbolts “Marvel’s best movie in years,” but still rated it with a B-minus grade. “Thunderbolts* — which more than earns its asterisk — is not The Avengers, because the Thunderbolts are not the Avengers,” wrote Ehrlich. “If this simple and relatively spirited return to basics is definitely a step in the right direction for the MCU, that direction is still ‘backwards.’ And if Robot & Frank director Jake Schreier’s Marvel debut is among...