Putting a band of misfits together to save the world…or something along those lines is far from a new line of thinking for action-adventure films, let alone superhero movies. Even The Avengers essentially functions as this, given the time spent having the group figure out their dynamic before teaming up to take on alien invaders. So, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to trot out this idea again for Thunderbolts*, the 36th film in this series, one must wonder what is actually being offered to have this film feel fresh or unique in some way. If anything, a lot of the film’s success feels rooted in how comfortable it is to acknowledge that the characters are not great people. Even in execution, the movie seems comfortable knowing it is never as funny or as exciting as the best the MCU has had to offer. With that in mind, why entertain a film like this then? Well, it also has a lot of heart, along with a conscious decision about addressing the mental health of powerful individuals. Whether or not these super anti-heroes are losers, these choices make the movie a winner.
The film opens with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), sister of the deceased Black Widow, who now performs covert mercenary missions for CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Yelena feels empty in her life’s purpose, which we soon learn informs the other characters she’s about to go on an unintended adventure with. You see, we learn Val’s covert operations have stirred up enough dust to get the attention of the rest of the government, so she decides to destroy any evidence of malfeasance. This, in turn, means putting all her operatives on a mission to kill each other, leading us to an awkward and potentially deadly way of creating a bond between Yelena, disgraced former Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell), another former Widow, Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ava Star aka Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), the women who can phase through walls.
See Also: ‘Megalopolis’ Review: From The Heart, For The Future
This movie is so stuffed with characters; I must also mention Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena’s “father” who pines for glory, and the Winter Solider himself, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who is now a congressman but also eventually winds up aligned with this misshapen group. Oh, and then there’s Bob (Lewis Pullman). What about Bob? The nature of this character has been shrouded in some secrecy. While comic fans may understand his significance, the best thing to understand is that he has no real recollection of why he’d be in the same parts of the world as the rest of these people. Still, he does appear to have some value to Val.
In its peak years, the MCU would have little to worry about concerning how invested the audience may be in these supporting characters turned leads. Is that the same in 2025, following a more hit-and-miss track record for full-on success for both the films and various TV shows? That’s certainly a question that matters for the business side of things, but not so much the quality of this movie. The bigger question here is whether or not the script by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo does enough work to keep us involved in the antics of these characters, let alone have something to say about why this particular group being teamed up should matter.
The first half of Thunderbolts* features a lot of fairly standard MCU-type hijinks, albeit without the presence of colorful characters who can fly or traverse across different parts of the universe within minutes. No, these characters are more about punching and shooting things, but it’s no matter when it’s fun. Watching the interactions go down allows for the comfort of knowing this cast of talented actors can knock out various one-liners, deliver on fun banter, argue, and more, along with showing they’re capable in a fight. It all flows well enough, even if it seems clear that the iconic moments put forward by the original Avengers will stand the test of time compared to what feels like an adventure with The Other Other Guys (and Gals). Even the ties into the greater MCU franchise are limited and relegated mainly to scenes with Val, using political-themed filters to address them, which means the Easter eggs won’t feel as exciting.
Thankfully, the second half takes a movie I was enjoying fine to another level. No, the action doesn’t suddenly become more spectacular, nor is there any real significant twist bound to blow minds. Instead, things that are merely hinted at early on become the subject of investigation. The actions of certain characters lead to setpieces rooted in the mental state of certain characters and the dangers that have emerged based on their coping mechanisms. And how does one resolve the raised stakes rooted in a psychotic break occurring within the mind of a supposed villain? Well, Thunderbolts* finds interesting ways of doing this while still recognizing that this is an MCU film designed to be played for a mass audience.
Being vague is part of the game in our spoiler-phobic modern society. Still, it does please me to say that I cared about all involved in the eventual push toward solving a significant problem that could potentially harm a lot of people. Much of that comes from how this threat and the plan of attack are rooted in the established characters. I’ve seen the very conventional ways of handling these types of stories. Even if one boils this story down to its skeleton and finds familiarity, it doesn’t detract from how things are executed here.
Director Jake Schreier only has a few theatrical credits to his name, in addition to his many years working on music videos and TV, but I was pleased by the choices being made here. Yes, one could say the work done to address depression, anxiety disorders, and disruptive behavior is shallow. Still, in the realm of a movie like this, choosing to go that path as opposed to something else that is far more routine, I saw active steps being taken to emphasize these decisions in ways that came through visually as much as thematically. The craft on display feels large enough to suggest we are indeed getting a real-deal MCU film following some entries that felt lacking in terms of knowing what the studio is capable of. At the same time, Schreier’s decision to bring on board various filmmakers who have primarily worked on the indie scene and the experimental group Son Lux to provide the Pixies-influenced score gives me the impression of someone who wants their MCU effort to sit somewhere outside the box.
The praise also extends to this cast, who largely deliver here. Pugh is ostensibly the film’s lead, and her woes balanced well with her attempts to hold everyone together. Harbour makes me laugh quite a bit in his efforts to keep up good spirits and seek out any opportunity to announce success. Louis-Dreyfus continues to relish leaning into putting on her Veep persona with some evil twists. With all that said, Pullman still winds up as the film’s MVP, which relates to the character’s complexity as we continue learning more about him.
I could also speak to the merit of the action on display, which includes a few nifty fights choreographed and shot well enough, along with other spectacle-related sequences, but it’s not what I found most interesting. Sure, given what series this film belongs to, those are moments that deliver and are staged in a manner that addresses the abilities of each of these characters. With all of that in mind, however, I did find myself happy with how these heroes grappled with their setbacks, trauma, and other issues that have left them so screwed up inside. Flawed heroes are nothing new. The journey of underdog characters also comes quite frequently. Thunderbolts* doesn’t even feel like it has its eyes set on raising any bar of success. However, as a film honest enough to know how much more effective a hug can be than another punch feels like the result of lessons being learned when trying to carry on a series that’s battled its way through so much. So perhaps that’s enough to earn these supposed superheroes that coveted spot on the Wheaties cereal box.
Thunderbolts* opens in theaters and IMAX on May 2, 2025.
