After 6 years without a true MCU team-up film, Thunderbolts* hits theaters on Thursday as the biggest crossover event in The Multiverse Saga to date. Directed by Jake Schreier and starring an ensemble cast anchored by Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts* has differentiated itself from recent MCU entries by selling the talent behind the movie, promising a more character-driven film. I’m happy to report that’s accurate!
An eclectic group of antagonists and anti-heroes make up this team, a lineup that’s been (unfairly) ridiculed by fans for years, although some of us have been staunch defenders of this group since Thunderbolts* was first announced in 2022. That faith was strongly rewarded with a deeply affecting film about how trauma and depression destroy your sense of self that hearkens back to the early years of the MCU, when well-written characters took center stage instead of unfocused plot lines and multiverse mumbo jumbo.
Thunderbolts* refocuses the MCU in a good way
Thunderbolts* isn’t your typical superhero movie. Its marketing campaign barely hinted at the full extent of the emotional storyline underpinning the film, which is brilliantly written and effectively punches you in the gut. I’m not usually one to cry at movies, but this one had me tearing up in the third act.
The film’s success hinges entirely on its characters and stellar performances. The main characters of this film are not who you’d expect other than Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, but they were absolutely the correct characters to center the narrative around. Thunderbolts* takes a very focused approach to Yelena, Val, and Bob, which sometimes comes at the detriment of not developing other team members enough. That being said, it’s such a refreshing change of pace to see that focus in an MCU movie again, and it’s done so well that it’s hard to argue less time should have been spent on them.
The Thunderbolts consist of people who aren’t bad human beings but who’ve done many bad things, which is why the film has so much emotional complexity to explore. Bucky Barnes represents the best-case scenario for them: someone who’s been where they are and made it through to the other side. While that concept could’ve been explored more in the film itself, it’s an excellent argument for why he’s gallivanting around with super soldiers instead of hanging out with Sam Wilson.
These strong characters immediately set Thunderbolts* apart from many recent MCU films. Although we’ve only seen most of these characters once or twice, they’re brilliantly reintroduced, and it’s easy to understand them. You start rooting for the Thunderbolts quickly. When they’re all connected through the common denominator of Val, their combination of cool abilities, different senses of humor, and desire for revenge makes for a very charismatic group.
The only problem with Thunderbolts* is a similar one that plagued Black Widow. Black Widow was a great movie that suffered from being released years late, something completely out of its control. Likewise, Thunderbolts* feels like the conclusive, Phase Five-ending team-up movie that dramatically connects stories we never saw. The movie itself is well-made and on point, but it centers on Val’s desperate desire to cling to power; Power that we never saw her wield.
Her last appearance was in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which established her as the Director of the C.I.A. and showed that she wanted to obtain a unique power for the United States. Two and a half years later, she’s still seeking that power amidst congressional probes into her misconduct as a government official. It feels like we’re missing a story in the middle, one where she was sending these anti-heroes on secretive missions while working as a politician.
Thunderbolts* capitalizes on nearly all of its opportunities though, weaving a great story around Val regardless and seamlessly picking up threads from Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yelena’s character arc is directly influenced by her experiences with Natasha and the fallout of her tussle with Clint Barton, bringing her emotional state from one of abandonment in Black Widow and rage and grief in Hawkeye to depression and acceptance in Thunderbolts*.
It’s difficult to say more without delving into spoilers. While most of the film’s action scenes were teased or nearly entirely shown in trailers and TV spots, the context behind them adds a lot of intrigue, and there are a few sequences that will surprise viewers. It’s another refreshing change of pace to see civilians being saved by heroes again, another aspect of superhero films that’s slowly but steadily vanished in recent years.
But Thunderbolts* isn’t really an action movie – it’s a character drama with a focus on healing what’s broken inside these individuals by making them part of something bigger than themselves, which calls to mind other Marvel teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers. The film’s themes of depression, loneliness, and coming back to yourself are handled with a deft touch that’s atypical for an MCU entry.
This Marvel Studios film does right by its characters
While more Ghost, Bucky, and Red Guardian would have been great, every character has a satisfying role to play (particularly John Walker, whose role in this film is exactly what you want from U.S. Agent). Ghost is much cooler than she was in Ant-Man and the Wasp now that she’s no longer struggling to stay alive, while Bucky slides in with a smaller-than-expected but key role that adds a subtle dimension to the film, even if it is a little rough around the edges. Restraint has been exercised with Red Guardian, who thankfully does not form the emotional core of the film but also plays an important supporting role.
Surprisingly, the center of the film is Lewis Pullman’s Bob, one of the absolute best new additions to the MCU across Phases Four and Five. Pullman delivers a wonderful performance and pulls off every aspect of his complex character, particularly his connection to Yelena, and his character arc is the most impactful.
Florence Pugh is front and center in a magnificent way in Thunderbolts*, also delivering a standout performance. Yelena is also one of the strongest new characters we’ve seen in recent years, and really shines as the focal point of this team. Yelena’s deep emotional arc makes Thunderbolts* feel like a de facto sequel to Black Widow, and it’s great to see Black Widow take center stage in a team after 17 years of MCU movies. While it unfortunately didn’t happen for Scarlett Johansson, she should be proud of her work executive producing Thunderbolts* and leading the charge for Pugh’s Yelena.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes the most of her role as Val, playing a prominent role for the first time after 4 years of cameos and short scenes. Val is front and center from the beginning of the film, with Louis-Dreyfus essentially playing an MCU version of Selina Meyer from Veep that doesn’t feel stale or derivative. Geraldine Viswanathan is great as her assistant, but the main problem with Val’s storyline in the film is that it feels like the conclusion to an arc we never saw. The other problem is her hair. What happened to that gorgeous purple streak?
The real shame here is Taskmaster, who’s a complete afterthought. Black Widow left the character in the perfect place for a sequel, but this is the one opportunity Thunderbolts* completely squanders. Not only is Antonia’s hopeful ending from Black Widow ignored, but the film doesn’t do anything interesting with her, despite the clear potential of Taskmaster’s storyline to add a subtle emotional layer for the team akin to Bucky’s role. Antonia and Bucky represented opposite extremes of what Yelena, Ghost, and John Walker could become, and that’s one aspect of the film that could have been stronger.
Likewise, the reappearance of certain characters from Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Widow would have been a perfect addition to this ensemble, but it’s hard to be upset about some characters not getting better treatment when the film itself is quite solid. So many recent MCU projects have been unfocused, unsatisfying messes that it’s difficult to fault the writers of Thunderbolts* for being choosy and aiming their pens squarely at Yelena, Bob, and Val.
We need more Thunderbolts* from Marvel Studios
As I’ve long suspected, Thunderbolts* is the crossover movie the past two phases have been sorely missing. It brings back that old MCU feeling, where you love the characters and walk out of the movie happy, satisfied, and excited about the future. You’ll also walk out of it with some emotional trauma depending on how much you relate to the film’s themes, but well-written emotional themes are a great layer to add to the MCU films!
Thunderbolts* is the complete opposite of the messy projects that have come to define Marvel’s post-Endgame era, although people routinely overlook the strongest entries in favor of criticizing the weaker ones. Thunderbolts* is one of those strong entries. It balances character development, action, and emotion in a way we haven’t seen in a couple of years, at least since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The talent poured into this film is evident from the way it’s shot, written, paced, acted, and even extends down to the end-credits scenes, which are another return to classic MCU form, particularly the final scene. There are no half-baked plot lines, unfinished character arcs, and random one-off character setups here.
Even the meaning behind the asterisk in the title is a payoff that’s well worth the long wait and the cherry on top of a great time at the theater. With Thunderbolts*, it finally feels like the MCU is headed back to where it used to be. The only question is if the franchise can keep up this momentum, or if this new entry is a one-off success thanks to its unique creative team.
I give Thunderbolts* a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Are you excited to watch this new Marvel movie this weekend? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky!
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