The Thunderbolts* are here! But who exactly are they? In Marvels second cinema outing of the year, we see a group of secondary characters come together to form a new central MCU team. Going into 2025 the MCU felt like it was in a bit of a muddle, however a team of questionable morally grey characters seems to be exactly what was missing. It's fair to officially declare the MCU is back baby! I was tentative with Captain America: Brave New World, whilst it was a step in the right direction it was messy in places. Thunderbolts* (Directed by Jake Schreier) builds upon Brave New World, adding a sense of continuity which we'd been missing and with The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming in hot in July, things are set to be in good shape for Avengers: Doomsday. Read on for my full review, there will be minor spoilers.
Catch-up on my Captain America: Brave New World Review by CLICKING HERE.
Let's formulate this review a little differently, after all the thunderbolts are not your typical heroes and the film does not fit the typical Marvel formula - so let's mix things up with the review!
Meet the Thunderbolts:
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) - The Ex Black Widow. Pugh gives a film stealing performance. Fully capturing Yelena's emotional and mental state after the death of her sister Natasha Romanoff. As the film progresses, we uncover the extent of her depression, whilst exploring her ability to care and lead. The treatment of Yelena in Thunderbolts* makes up for a lot of the early mistakes that were made in regard to Natasha during the first few phases of the MCU. It was also fun to see Yelena stepping in her sisters footsteps from assassin to hero - you'll even catch a nice little posed landing. Yelena is the worthy and rightful leader of the Thunderbolts* (under Bucky's mentorship) and I challenge anyone to question this after seeing the film.
John Walker (Wyatt Russell) - The failed Captain America. Whilst Steve Rodgers was a man out of time Walker is a man out of place. No longer Captain America, nor part of the U.S. Army. His indignity has been stripped away leaving him to battle with his own mental health. It was good to see Russell back in the MCU, to build some depth into his character, to see more of the flaws but also the strengths. This is a man that wants to be the best, but eventually he just wants to be a part of a team, bettering himself and the team.
Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) - The sarcastic Brit. The Ava we meet in Thunderbolts* is able to control her ability to phase through objects, but this has not allowed her to find a peaceful place in the world. John-Kamen delivers a performance full of snarky comments, yet she is perhaps the one most committed to the team. She has multiple opportunities to leave the others often in life threatening situations and yet she never abandons them. A perfect example of actions speak louder than words.
Red Guardian (David Harbour) - The comic relief. Harbour provides the bulk of the expected quippy MCU jokes, most of which come from naturally from Red Guardian's enthusiastic personality rather than over scripted jokes. He provides some much-needed comic relief but ensures not to ruin the emotional moments of the film. A slight sign that Marvel is using the jokes in a subtle more natural way again, less forced more fun.
Bucky Barns (Sebastian Stan) - The Winter Soldier turned US Congressman. It's good to see Bucky taking on a key part of the team rather than fulfilling the sidekick character to a Captain America. However, I have one minor 'bugbear' with the congressman storyline, we never see his motivations and he throws it away without a second thought. Predictably, Stan delivers faultless performance taking on a different role, he's already been where the rest of the team are and acts as a moral guide to them, which is a great show of character progression.
They may be the strangest combination of secondary characters and yet that is exactly why it works. The Thunderbolts* offer a team dynamic that is not disproportionate in skill or prestige. It's an unconventional team, that's unpredictable, fresh and exciting!
Narrative wise, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is pulling the strings as she attempts to eliminate her agents all whilst creating her own controllable superhero. This is all set within the context of an impeachment trial. The films narrative sticks closely to a linear storyline, that flows without feeling like it's jumping from fight to fight/set piece to set piece. Thunderbolts* is careful not to over stretch, the narrative taking place within a short timeframe. All of this is a refreshing break from the recent MCU formula, where narratives have been far reaching and often thin as a result. Instead film utilises a combination of espionage elements and twists to formulate its narrative structure. Creating a storyline that's as unpredictable as its characters.
What truly makes Thunderbolts* standout beyond its thrilling fight scenes and well-developed characters, is its emotional depth. The human moments, where despite the high-stakes situations the team find pockets of time to share their demons or impart some personality beyond being hired killers. Moments that slot into the overarching theme of mental health, something each character is facing or has faced in Bucky Barn's case. The character of Bob played by Lewis Pullman, is central to the films emotional plays, I would love to deep dive into the character, but without spoilers that would be hard to do.
The emotional complexity of the film is mimicked in the colour grading, as the film progresses it loses colour. The Thunderbolts* are a different darker team, facing darker demons. This is the darkest MCU film to date, predominantly due to its subject matter.
Overall, Thunderbolts* is a beautifully crafted film. One that goes deeper into human condition than the MCU has ventured to date. Florence Pugh shines throughout, confidently leading the film through its complex subject matter. This film boldly breaks the model, constantly drawing attention to its differences. A must watch cinema experience, that will leave you excited for what comes next!
There are two after credits scenes, do not miss the second one!
Thank you for reading x
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