A collection of Marvel Cinematic Universe misfits reluctantly come together in Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts*.

Much has been said about the Marvel Cinematic Universe being past its best and lacking focus since Avengers: Endgame. Such comments are not unfair considering the myriad unresolved plot threads and the lack of clarity around what is actually being built to. Thunderbolts* seems to have an awareness of the meta narrative surrounding the franchise detailed in a strong opening monologue from Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova where she bemoans being tired of her repetitive existence, seemingly doomed to go through the same motions day after day for no satisfying return. The audience may be feeling the same way about superhero movies, questioning why they continue to turn out the cinema only to leave disappointed and unfulfilled. The audience, like Yelena, needs a change and to feel a sense of purpose.

From the outset, Thunderbolts positions Yelena Belova as its emotional center. The story revolves around her struggle with isolation and meaninglessness, and the rest of the team—each embodying aspects of her inner conflict—serves to illuminate her arc. Florence Pugh delivers her most grounded take on Yelena yet, anchoring the film with a performance that is mostly quiet but explosive when it needs to be, brittle and emotionally raw. The script gives her space to breathe, which pays off in a big way.

The team dynamic is defined by how dysfunctional it is. These are not people who belong together, and the film knows it. Her father, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian’s (David Harbour) wounded pride, Bucky aka Winter Soldier’s (Sebastian Stan) realistic optimism, Ava Starr aka Ghost’s emotional distance and John Walker U.S. Agent’s (Wyatt Russell) insecure bravado. They all echo parts of Yelena’s fractured identity. She resists the connection at first, repelled by the group’s chaotic energy, but as the story unfolds, they become something she didn’t know she needed.

Unlike the -sometimes- polished synergy of the Avengers, this team is a tumultuous ensemble of loners, misfits, and reluctant allies. Their dysfunction, clashing egos, and emotional baggage create both friction and surprising chemistry. Yet, under sharp direction, their messy interactions never devolve into incoherence—and instead provide the spark Yelena needs to begin her healing.

The strongest motivator for Yelena to better herself is Bob (Lewis Pullman), an initially mysterious and immensely powerful individual with an overwhelming inner darkness that threatens to poison him. Lewis Pullman plays the character with a sinister innocence and naivety that makes him come across as a bomb waiting to explode at any moment. He fuels the third act fireworks but is much more meaningful than someone that simply needs to be punched to save the day. The idea of him being robbed of choice and manipulated to fit a specific image while wrestling with his tragic past adds welcome texture to him and compliments Yelena’s arc wonderfully.

It’s clear that Yelena sees something of herself in him which awakens an innate supportive nature prompting her to work to help him not end up like she has. This results in a climax that’s more emotionally driven than most of the recent MCU fare with the opponent being inner darkness that threatens to overwhelm and control them. The resolution doesn’t come from beating the bad guy but from choosing to change, to connect, to be better and confront the darkest days. Yelena understanding that people are stronger together than apart and implementing that lesson to help others is immensely satisfying and powerful.

Thunderbolts* leans into the meta-awareness of an MCU in search of direction. With the Avengers gone, the film sifts through the remnants—both literal and figurative—of its cinematic universe. A scene set in a museum of past battles underlines this sense of disarray, as does the team’s composition of discarded or overlooked characters. The message is subtle but resonant: the franchise, like its heroes, is unsure how to move forward. Complimenting this, is Bob as a new character that represents a desire to quickly recreate the success of the Avengers with all the pitfalls that come with not understanding how that success was achieved. Avengers tower itself has been robbed of its distinctive aesthetic and is so far way from being a beacon of heroism.

The meta narrative is compelling, though it rarely digs deeper than surface-level commentary. In some ways, Thunderbolts* highlights that many attempts to replicate and develop that unique alchemy that made the MCU a success haven’t worked as intended and left the world in a far more uncertain place as a result. The film never resolves this problem though it doesn’t shy way from the notion that the problem may be unresolvable which leaves the only option being finding a way to evolve and move onto something different. It remains to be seen if the franchise will continue to interrogate this commentary but as an idea in a film that is somewhat about how difficult it is to find and maintain purpose it fits nicely.

It doesn’t all work as there’s a tendency to lean on awkward humour at inappropriate moments. The biggest culprit is Alexei who is often relegated to the role of comic relief and, at times, derails scenes with ill placed jokes that don’t land. He does have a strong moment with Yelena that spurs her into action, but there’s no getting away from him being responsible for a lot of tonal dissonance that hurts the experience in places.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus); a shady character with a number of appearances under her belt takes centre stage as the antagonistic catalyst that gets the plot moving. She’s a morally murky force of nature who sees people as commodities to be exploited and discarded to further her plans. She feeds into the meta narrative as someone dictating how the world  -and by extension franchise- should proceed and how heroes are defined without understanding the appeal. The fact that she unwittingly creates a team highlights how little she understands the truism “opposites attract” and her attempts to force the world into an image she approves of provides a compelling problem to be solved. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is delightfully immoral and her cheery demeanor provides a strong foil to the contrasting seriousness of the team.

The film  boasts impressive action that is often smaller scale than is common for this franchise. The team’s initial meeting and the ensuing fight is very well choreographed with each character’s skills being exemplified nicely and the third act fireworks are impressively tempered by the characters being limited in what they can achieve. It’s a much more street level feel despite the enormity of the stakes and the aforementioned character driven emotional conflict giving the film its climax is a welcome change of pace. Like the collection of characters, the elements mostly come together to be greater than the sum of their parts.

Thunderbolts* is about broken people trying to figure out if they still matter—and whether they can matter together. It doesn’t have all the answers, and it’s not trying to. That uncertainty is part of its strength. This film dares to acknowledge that a problem exists and not attempt to provide a concrete answer. And that’s where it finds something honest.

---

Verdict

Thunderbolts* is a step in the right direction for Marvel with an emotionally resonant character driven story exploring relatable mental health ideas while interrogating the current state of the MCU as a franchise.

We’d love to know your thoughts on this and anything else you want to discuss. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky and Discord or just leave a comment in the comment section below. You’ll need an account for Disqus but it’s easy to set up. Don’t forget to share your rating in the “User Review” box.