Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* follows the assembling of an unconventional team of antiheroes, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and a mysterious man named Bob (Lewis Pullman). After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
I have been following the production of this film ever since it was announced three years ago at one of Marvel’s major SDCC panels and I was immensely excited to see another of my favorite comic book antihero teams be brought to the big screen after the group was being teased so much in a number of Phase 4 MCU projects. The more I learned of the film the more it became one of my most highly anticipated MCU films, especially because of the amazing talented cast and the amazingly talented crew of A24 production veterans involved.
I was very lucky enough to attend an early fan screening for the film on IMAX and so after such a long wait was the film worth it? Yes! Absolutely positively yes! Thunderbolts* is an emotionally powerful and character-driven superhero team-up film that brings an unlikely ensemble together into an underdog team that you will be thrilled with, laugh with, cry with, and feel so immensely invested in from start to end. Jake Schreier and his crew created a unique and beautiful film that hugely stands out amongst other MCU projects with its bold directions, extremely compelling misfit characters, phenomenal visuals, marvelous practical work, and incredibly relevant exploration of trauma and mental health that makes this not only a refreshing entry into the MCU but a refreshing entry to the comic book genre as a whole.
We’ve certainly had a number of anti-hero and misfit teams over the years in the comic book universes that have won over the hearts of audiences but this particular group is guaranteed to win over hearts in a different way, as well as have people connect with them as they go on a high stakes mission that provides endless grounded thrills and deeply moving moments you wouldn’t expect to come from these particular characters in this universe.
In a story focused on people who have been used, neglected, left behind, or haven’t become exactly what they thought they would become, you need a strong cast that brings their A-game to these flawed and damaged characters and that is exactly what the cast of Thunderbolts* did. We may have seen all of the returning characters in previous MCU projects deliver great and sometimes even phenomenal performances but most of them are at their best in this film where each of them get to play to the strengths of their respective characters while also being able to give them immense vulnerability to make you connect with them despite their past actions.
Easily the best among them without a shadow of a doubt is Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, delivering her best portrayal of the character so far in the MCU. As a result of Natasha’s death, we see Yelena in a deep state of depression causing her to wander around aimlessly from one contract job to another without having any spark or purpose in life. She has endured so much trauma and has so many regrets in her life that she doesn’t know how to move forward, but that all changes once she ends up meeting fellow misfits who are also unfulfilled, directionless, and have endured their own traumas. Through the film we see her going on a compelling personal journey that is brought to life through fantastic layered writing as well as Florence Pugh who brings in a heavy amount of heart and emotional weight in her phenomenal performance, making an already beloved character into an extremely compelling lead.
She truly is one of the biggest stars of the film but that’s not to say that the other performances pale in comparison to her because everyone delivers compelling performances respectively, having powerful moments to shine and share incredible chemistry together as a group.
Red Guardian makes his glorious return to the big screen and David Harbour goes all in, delivering consistently funny humor and consistently strong heart with his performance. Much like Yelena, he is struggling with his own self-worth having no direction or fulfillment in his life after being a former glory hound mascot for Soviet Russia that was thrown away like an old broken toy. When he was a hero for his country in his time he felt purpose and love so when he sees the opportunity with this team of anti-heroes to become a beloved hero again, as well as a chance to reconnect with Yelena, he jumps at the opportunity without hesitation and sees the potential in everyone to become more than what they are. He is an insanely lovable goofball of a character that kicks ass and manages to bring a lot of emotional moments of his own, especially in some crucial scenes between him and Yelena that really tug at the heartstrings. He is a true gem of a character that brings the right amount of levity to a mostly dark story.
Wyatt Russell returns as John Walker, now under the alias of US Agent, and while he is certainly still the bravado filled asshole we met in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier he ends being humbled and humanized, turning a once love-to-hate character into the hero that he should have been when he previously helmed the mantle of Captain America. Wyatt Russell brings a perfect balance of humor and gravitas to his performance, giving Walker a lot of redemptive qualities that surprisingly make you root for him despite all of his actions in the past. You may not entirely forgive Walker for his past actions but you will certainly find some respect for him for trying to be better.
Hannah John-Kamen makes her long awaited return as Ava Starr aka Ghost after having been on a seven year absence since the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and she was absolutely fantastic in this film. Having been cured of her molecular disequilibrium, she is a far more calm and collected individual compared to when we last saw her but she has also been incredibly lonely, having not had any interaction with others for a long time. Behind her nonchalant and “work alone” attitude she’s shown to be a person in need of human connection as we progressively see her coming through for the team multiple times and even subtly showing compassion for others, resulting in a beautiful redemption arc that may likely go under the radar for some. She was used as a weapon and endured years of great pain due to her previously uncontrollable powers yet she musters the courage to be a selfless hero even if she acts like she is all for herself and Hannah John-Kamen plays the part beautifully.
Sebastian Stan brings effortless charm and charisma in his return as an evolved Bucky Barnes who ends up becoming a de facto leader for the misfit group. Initially, I was worried that the film was going to regress his progressive arc established in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but thankfully that wasn’t the case at all as we see he has moved past his demons and is embracing a new life for himself. This makes him a perfect candidate to lead and inspire this group of damaged misfits with their own demons to face their pasts and be the potential heroes of the day in the current temporary absence of any of Avengers. He may be playing more of a supportive role compared to his more main roles in previous MCU installments but Sebastian Stan still gives his all to the character and is a perfect inclusion to the film and the team.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus absolutely chews up the scenery with her performance as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who I can best describe as a manipulative and ruthless bitch of a character. This film shows Valentina’s true colors after only getting brief yet entertaining glimpses of her character in previous MCU installments, making her sort of a Nick Fury-like figure who seeks to protect the world by any and all means possible but with way less moral boundaries. And unlike Fury who is a bit colder and more reserved, Valentina fully embraces the fact that she is a merciless bitch who has done bad things without hesitation while trying to keep a false public face as a CIA director who wants to protect the interests of the American people.
She serves as the perfect sleazy villain for our misfits to thwart and is played to perfection by Julia Louis-Dreyfus but she isn’t necessarily the biggest threat of the film. That honor goes to the other surprising MVP of this film next to Florence Pugh’s Yelena which is Bob aka the Sentry aka the Void played by Lewis Pullman. Bob’s initial introduction portrays him as somewhat of a bumbling innocent caught in the crossfire but he ends up being revealed as a truly complex, sympathetic, and damaged individual who is far more powerful and dangerous than anyone expected much like his comic book counterpart.
This was a character that I was really hoping they would do justice for in live action, not for his insane powers but for the crucial mental health elements that are a major part of the character from comics. Not only did they adapt him and his mental health aspects perfectly from the source material, we also get a truly career-defining performance from Lewis Pullman who beautifully brings this tragic character to life with such raw emotion and layers that make him a fantastic stand out in this film as well as one of the best character debuts to be made in the MCU recently.
Bob hides his pain behind humor but you can tell he is a very unstable and lonely man who needs help and compassion and finds it in the most unlikely of people, Yelena. The moments these two share in the film are the most emotionally powerful and satisfying scenes in the film that hugely highlights mental health and the behaviour of how we accept people with mental health. When Bob becomes the Sentry he proves he’s capable of being a very powerful hero but then when his darker half emerges, known as the Void, created by Bob’s immense loneliness and mental trauma, he ends up becoming one of the most dangerous beings on Earth, capable of being a far more deadly threat than a majority of the deadliest villains we have had in the MCU so far. The build up to the Void’s emergence is full of masterfully crafted tension and the way he was adapted was incredible, both from a narrative and visual standpoint that I honestly consider to be better than the comic version of the entity.
Thunderbolts* has one of the strongest and most grounded narratives of MCU films to date; it isn’t necessarily a story just about a group of misfit antiheroes teaming up to save the world but a story that is about misfit antiheroes finding connections in other people, redeeming themselves, and finding new and fulfilling purposes all set within a thrilling and emotionally layered stand alone action film that is set within the realm of the MCU. While this film certainly has its share of genuinely hilarious moments between the characters and their distinctive personalities, the majority of the film itself is one of the most mature stories we have had in the MCU in a while, next to the recent first season of Daredevil: Born Again.
This film boldly dives into the themes of trauma, healing, and redemption with mental health at the forefront over the usual superhero antics, and this applies to the entirety of the film’s narrative, which takes very different directions than what people expect. While there are certainly some inspiring moments of action and heroics that will give the nostalgic feeling of 2012’s The Avengers to audiences, the film’s third act isn’t some overwhelming compilation of big and bombastic action sequences featuring heavy amounts of effects. It instead takes a more psychological approach that makes the themes of mental health that were interwoven in the narrative a crucial part for how the team tries to save the day, making for emotionally charged and powerful moments.
As someone who has been struggling with mental health in the past few months after my mother’s passing this was a film that I felt personally resonated with me and I believe it is more than likely to resonate with others who have been dealing with the same or similar struggles. All of this creates what I would consider the most human MCU film to date and a truly strong way to end Phase 5 of the MCU.
The film is primarily a standalone story that features no major cameos or over reliance on previous installments to understand the story, but it does end up hugely changing the MCU in a major way with its ending and a crazy post-credits scene that sets up something majorly exciting for the future. The revelation of that little asterisk on the film’s title is going to blow a lot of people’s minds, especially to people who know the revelation’s significance in comics.
With an immensely talented director and crew of indie veterans at the helm of this film they manage to bring a whole range of phenomenal technical elements that give this film a unique identity, making it look and feel like a collaboration with A24 as well as matching with the mature narrative tone of this film. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, most notable for his work in A Ghost Story and The Green Knight, brings gorgeous and masterful camerawork to this film, resulting in a visually stunning MCU project that stands out from what we have had before and doesn’t hesitate to be artistically daring, especially with the help of Shang-Chi and Beef editor, Harry Yoon.
The action sequences are thrilling, brutally intense, and beautifully executed through an extremely high usage of practical effects, stunts, and on set locations, making this film feel larger than life and drawing audiences in to feel extremely invested in what’s going on screen with these layered characters. CGI is only presented in small amounts for when it needs to be and it not only looks great but also visually unique, with certain effects never seen before in other MCU projects or even any major blockbusters that I’ve seen recently. One of these unique effects involves the Void’s appearance and his power to turn people instantly into shadows that comes off very terrifying but also visually pleasing to the eyes. This is easily the most beautiful MCU film we have had to date that doesn’t rely heavily on CGI effects to stand out.
We also get a strong and inspiring score from composing team Son Lux, who are most notable for their fantastic work in Everything Everywhere All at Once. They deliver such brilliant music that enhances the emotionally powerful moments of this film, as well as all of the intense thrilling moments, making them hit much harder.
Thunderbolts* is the underdog game changer the MCU certainly needed: compelling characters, powerful heart, and relevant themes within a thrilling action flick that many people are going to end up loving and even connect with in unexpected ways. The three year long wait for this film was very much worth it and I highly encourage everyone to go see it when it drops in theaters on May 2nd. I’m going to give Thunderbolts* an A+ = 100.
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