‘Thunderbolts*’ review

By Nadia Dalimonte

Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts

​What better way to awaken the Marvel Cinematic Universe fatigue than getting a group of anti-heroes together? After years of formulaic action, underwhelming character introductions, and redundant revivals across the past few phases, Thunderbolts* has closed out Phase 5 with a level of optimism that reminds audiences how much dramatic strength these ensembles can hold. Much like The Avengers, which closed out Phase One, Thunderbolts* excels through character dynamics that let personalities shine, and action sequences that actually have real stakes. Each and every misfit, normally cast aside and left to their own devices, becomes part of a fluid collective. They get to know one another as a means of survival, and learn the power they have within themselves to push through the irredeemable bits of their past that have held them to solitude. Thunderbolts* turns the idea of an emulative superhero on its head. The film resonates by looking inward to figure out who these characters are, beyond playing connect-the-dots in the Marvel universe, and impressively navigates mental health without compromising the seriousness of the subject. Led by the magnificent Florence Pugh, and featuring a charismatic Lewis Pullman as a fresh-faced addition to the MCU, Thunderbolts* steers the future of Marvel Studios onto an excitedly different path.

Finding strength and heroism in antagonistic Marvel characters, Thunderbolts* has assembled a fitting creative team to balance heightened stakes with entertaining personalities. Director Jake Schreier (co-director of the Emmy-winning Netflix series Beef) reimagines what makes a superhero and leans into moral ambiguity to create a grounded environment where he can explore darker subjects like mental health, and emphasize those narrative elements visually. His ability to also incorporate comedy into poignancy, as exemplified throughout Beef, helps the oddball team of MCU loners in Thunderbolts* stand out in their respective internal battles, while also being universal and fun to watch. Schreier’s tonal balance complements the work of co-writers Eric Pearson (who previously wrote Black Widow) and Joanna Calo (the Emmy-winning writer behind hit shows The Bear, Hacks, and BoJack Horseman), both of whom can easily spot the grey areas of a character and find intrigue in the shadows. Their screenplay grounds the story with a humanistic focus, startling with our dynamic central character.

Picking up from Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, Russian Red Room-trained assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) now freelances for OXE Group chairman Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). While Valentina has Yelena’s next rogue move lined up, Yelena feels empty and directionless. Deeply impacted by the loss of her sister, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and vulnerable to emotional manipulation, Yelena’s motivation to go through countless missions comes from a heavy void. The film opens with a face of loneliness and isolation, a close-up of Yelena’s vulnerability (and Pugh’s fearlessness), as she leaps off one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. When she lands, she breaks new ground within herself and reluctantly agrees to do one last mission before calling it quits on assassin work. But that mountainous trap of a mission has a lot more in store for Yelena’s fate.

Valentina, under impeachment from the U.S. government, orders her assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) to scrub all OXE Group assets from history, including mercenaries — Yelena, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). The disillusioned misfits are lured into a fortress to kill each other, and in eventually seeing through the faux mission, they realize they must work together to survive an explosion of betrayal. Making matters more complicated, the mercenaries are joined by a civilian named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who cannot remember why or how he’s in the room with them.

The emotional anchors of Thunderbolts* ride on character arcs, especially for Yelena and Bob. She feels a strong connection to his energy, and the two share an intriguing conversation in the mountainous fortress that foreshadows the narrative directions to come. There’s a reason why Yelena is drawn to Bob, a mentally troubled young man whose dark side is being exploited. Through their interconnectedness, the film explores resonant themes of mental health, depression, and fighting inner demons. The characters’ internal conflicts carry the story forward, letting Thunderbolts* work its magic as a relationship-building film. It’s not about connecting dots within the Marvel universe, nor discerning Easter eggs from interactions, nor fighting for the greater good of mankind. It’s very much about the individual growing pains of misfits who are figuring out their humanistic superpowers and, for the most part, get moments to shine.

Since her standout performance in Black Widow, Florence Pugh’s Yelena has become a fan favourite. Pugh brought incredible depth, charm, and humour to her character. Her talent elevated the film and ultimately inspired an exciting new direction for the MCU to go in; it felt a no-brainer that she would go on to lead a franchise project. Thunderbolts* meets Yelena at a vulnerable point where she has sharpened her skills and learnt so much from her sister, but lost a sense of purpose. Haunted by the deepest, darkest rooms of her past, Yelena’s inner struggle is compelling material for Pugh to sink into, and she does so beautifully. One can immediately identify with her isolation, recognize the qualities that make Yelena who she is, and discover the character’s growth. Yelena’s attentiveness towards Bob’s vulnerability, and her willingness to take him under her wing, emphasize an exploration of mental health through the superhero genre.

The film is not immune to some of the MCU’s repeat storytelling offences such as clunky pacing and, in more recent years, unfunny marketing-driven banter. The actors’ sensibilities and wit are more than enough to interject levity without forced, cheesy comedic timing. Additionally, the writing structure can be redundant and surface-level in how messages around mental health are presented. However, this does not diminish the sincerity of wanting to include such messages and tell a more human story than what audiences expect from a Marvel blockbuster. Thunderbolts* has the endearing ensemble and thoughtful writing to pull off character and story developments that genuinely do stir emotion. That a major MCU franchise film pushes for more mature subject matter feels incredibly refreshing, and does not underestimate the universality of a topic like depression, nor does it undermine the seriousness of it.

Of the ensemble, Lewis Pullman has the most delicate role to play, calling on him to be vulnerable and intimidating at the switch of a hat. As a new addition to the MCU, he makes an engaging first impression and creates someone you immediately feel drawn to, as there is more to Bob than meets the eye. Pullman brings an endearing charisma to this seemingly innocent civilian, and the film’s first act smartly keeps his full abilities shrouded. Each layer of the character builds onto a compelling backstory and gives him a motivating factor, while also shedding light on Val’s shady intentions. 

When Bob volunteers to participate in a lab test, under the guise that it will take his pain away, Val has him injected with a DNA-altering serum to create Sentry, “Earth’s Mightiest Hero.” The superhuman’s powers are designed to rival all of the Avengers rolled into one. In exploiting Bob’s trauma, she unwittingly creates The Void, an entity that heightens his dark side to an all-consuming level. The Void keeps Bob stuck in a shadowy maze of his traumatic past, unable to fight against the emptiness and loneliness. Pullman, no pun intended, pulls off an incredibly multi-faceted role, from Void’s darkness and Sentry’s intimidation to Bob’s vulnerability. He navigates disorientating compartments of the character’s mind and, in a particularly moving sequence, shows Bob’s inner strength of realizing he’s not alone in the world.

Sentry’s arc speaks to how depression doesn’t simply go away with a masked front, and how even the people one may perceive as superheroes can also struggle on the inside. Sentry also proves to be a far more intriguing character than expected; beyond a superhuman silhouette who can fight off any misfit without so much as flinching, he has enough self-awareness to question why he needs to follow Val’s orders. If he is so almighty, why would he answer to anyone? Through this character, the film finds emotionally resonating ways of communicating something that so many of us need to hear: you are not alone.

The Void’s visualization also makes for some of the most engaging action sequences the MCU has ever produced. From turning civilians into shadows, to the misfits fighting their way through Bob’s psychological maze of dark rooms, to Bob fighting his inner self, the action derives from character development. It helps that much of the choreography we see is also from a ground-level perspective, which feels more tangible and creates a realistic set of stakes. Additionally, the brilliant score by Son Lux highlights the oddities of these characters and the tension of their heightened circumstances, while keeping humanity at the core.

The level of tact involved in Yelena and Bob’s character arcs extends, for the most part, to all the misfits in this ensemble. The film gives familiar faces such as Walker (Russell) and Ghost (John-Kamen) more material than they’ve had across the entirety of the MCU. While this still leaves more to be desired, particularly from Ghost who disappears from the frame far too often, the time spent on their characters reveals a unique edge. Thunderbolts* excels at focusing on how to approach the misfits as an ensemble. It’s not so much about the group seeking revenge, but rather learning how to work together, and how to address their own pasts out of a need to keep surviving. The film’s second half also smartly gives each character a moment of saving bystanders not for the greater good, nor for any reason other than lending a helping hand, just as Yelena extends to Bob. 

This sentiment of helping hands also extends to characters such as Yelena’s father, Alexei (David Harbour), who not only provides comic relief but a voice of poignancy. During the film’s second half, Harbour and Pugh share an incredibly moving moment in a conversation of purpose and healing. With both actors so present in this moment, their conversation truly echoes and gives weight to Yelena’s character development. The presence of another familiar face, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), also emphasizes the film’s recurring theme of finding your community. While the character doesn’t get much to do, he still manages to resonate in identifying with the misfits, and at least makes an appearance as the Winter Soldier. As a former assassin, he has been in their position, and has the foresight to guide them towards pushing through complicated pasts.

The battle between good and evil has long been the structure of superhero films. Thunderbolts* stands out by taking this approach to explore the interior conflicts within characters. The wrestling of good and bad elements exists within them, and watching those psychological battles play out is far more emotionally involving than much of what the MCU franchise has offered in recent years. With resonating subjects, a tremendous cast, and enough heart to feel purposeful, Thunderbolts* signifies that Marvel creatives still have the capacity to tell interesting stories within the superhero genre.