Thunderbolts* review (2025)
Like their comic book counterparts, Thunderbolts* aims to fill the void left by The Avengers at the box office.
The real question for audiences (and Marvel Studio execs) is can a team led by Black Widow II and Bucky become fan favorites as a team in the same manner as Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Hawkeye, etc.? Or for that matter, Star-Lord, Rocket, Gamora, Drax, Groot, Mantis and Nebula?
If it’s not a resounding “yes!” Thunderbolts* is certainly a good enough effort to tide audiences over until the meat of this Multiverse Saga arrives with July’s Fantastic Four and 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.
There does seem to be a concerted effort to create the type of ongoing story Marvel Studios employed to bonkers box office success during The Infinity Saga culminating in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The events in Thunderbolts* play out fairly closely after the fallout from Captain America: Brave New World.
Brave New World isn’t required viewing to enjoy Thunderbolts*, but it does prove useful in further establishing the Marvel Cinematic Universe temperature in a world without The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy several solar systems away.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (a scene-stealing Julia Louis-Dreyfus, You People) has been summoned before Congress for a potential impeachment hearing. Her actions over the last few years have drawn some negative attention and Congressman Gary (Wendell Pierce, Jack Ryan) is hoping to make her pay.
Gary isn’t the only one interested in seeing Valentina answer for her actions as former Avenger turned Congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is also working to get more intel. Perhaps Bucky has an ally with Valentina’s assistant, Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), might be willing to flip?
Valentina has left a paper and digital trail that needs to be scrubbed ASAP so she sends the operatives she’s recruited — Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) — to tie up some loose ends at a remote secret facility.
Unfortunately for this not-so-fantastic four, they’re part of those loose ends. But they’re not alone as Bob (Lewis Pullman, Top Gun: Maverick), an amnesic who can’t recall how he ended up in the facility, is also caught in the fray.
After the requisite fight between the eventual teammates, the group realizes they’re better off working together. By the first 30 minutes, director Jake Schreier has already staged two very creative and well-laid out fight scenes. Schreier gives Thunderbolts* an appropriately bigger blockbuster tone sacrificing character development for bigger action set pieces.
When the cast was announced, some fans questioned the group makeup since so many of the characters have similar skill sets. Screenwriters Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and Joanna Calo (BoJack Horsemen) do a good job of playing up the disparate personalities and how that plays into their fighting styles.
Early on, Thunderbolts* feels like it’s treading down the same path of far too many Multiverse Saga films — leaning too heavily on comedy in place of legit pathos and compelling character dynamics. That’s best exemplified when Yelena’s father, Alexi (David Harbour) joins the party decked out in his ill-fitting Red Guardian gear.
Alexi is the MCU team trope comic relief. His comedy can be exasperating at times though Harbour plays Alexi with such vigor it’s hard to dislike the character. Not so surprisingly, one of Thunderbolts* best scenes is a tender, serious moment between Yelena and Alexi. Thunderbolts* does turn a corner as the film takes a unique turn for a MCU film — as the characters are forced to face darker, traumatic moments that helped define their lives. In some respects, there is no potentially Earth-destroying villain in Thunderbolts* but a more formidable threat — the person the hero sees staring before them in the mirror.
The cast makes getting invested in the characters easy. Thunderbolts* isn’t new viewer friendly as audiences are expected to have already watched Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Ant-Man & The Wasp and loosely Hawkeye to get a strong comprehension of the characters and some of their demons.
Pugh has been a fantastic addition to the MCU as Yelena, a complex and layered character who makes for a strong central force whether in a series or a film. Rusell sets in nicely as the team’s quasi-jerk while Pullman is a good fit as the wild card member with a potentially devastating secret. Of the main cast, John-Kamen is the most neglected despite Ghost being one of the few Thunderbolts* with actual powers.
Thunderbolts* has two additional scenes. One is the gag scene, which is typically shown after the full credits. Shifting the longer, more important post-credit scene makes more sense though Eagle Eyed viewers might want to turn away from the full credits lest a big moment is spoiled.
Thunderbolts* further helps to bring some needed focus to this stint of The Multiverse Saga with the arrival of the newest hero team. The winning cast and smartly laid out action sequences makes this a fun watch even if it’s not in the upper echelon of MCU films.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
Enjoyed Thunderbolts*? Check out the comic book inspiration for the series with Thunderbolts: Wanted Dead or Alive on Amazon.
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