“Ok, that was actually really good,” is a line Yelena delivers to Red Guardian in Thunderbolts*—and it perfectly sums up how I felt about the movie as a whole. I was very, very pleasantly surprised by the 36th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Avengers might be off duty, but Earth still needs saving. This summer, a new team of unlikely heroes steps up: Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker join forces to face a mysterious new villain—one that comic fans will recognize, even if the MCU hasn’t introduced them until now. Behind it all is the ever-scheming Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, whose dangerous plan turns this mission into a potential suicide run.
Going into Thunderbolts*, I was genuinely excited—and that was entirely due to the marketing. From the unique music used in the trailers, to the A24-inspired tone, to the creative team behind the project. Director Jake Schreier took these C- and even D-list MCU characters and, much like James Gunn did with Guardians of the Galaxy, made us care deeply about them.
But let me touch on a few negatives.
Marvel really needs to decide what kind of humor it wants in these movies. Thankfully, Thunderbolts* allows its dramatic moments to breathe without constantly undercutting them with unnecessary jokes. That said, some characters—based on how they’ve previously been portrayed—shouldn’t be cracking jokes. Red Guardian and Yelena using humor makes sense, especially since it fits their personalities and how they cope with trauma. But Ghost and U.S. Agent? Their attempts at humor feel out of place. And honestly, most of the forced jokes didn’t land—my theater was silent during those moments.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine Viswanathan give particularly weak performances. Marvel continues trying to mold Valentina into its own version of DC’s Amanda Waller, and it’s just not working.
Now onto what I loved about this movie:
The third-act showdown is fantastic. It’s a refreshingly different kind of climax—more grounded, more emotionally resonant, and not just a generic CGI punch-fest or another big beam in the sky. We experience much of it through Yelena’s perspective, though I do wish some of the other Thunderbolts had a stronger presence in that moment. The first act is a bit slow, but by the end of the second act and into the third, the movie hits its stride.
This film is 100% about Yelena, played brilliantly by Florence Pugh. She’s more than stepped into the role left behind by Scarlett Johansson. Yelena is the heart and soul of Thunderbolts*, and Pugh rises to the occasion. I can’t wait to see her continue to grow in the MCU for years to come.
Final Thoughts
Thunderbolts* also tackles themes of mental health, depression, and the idea that often our biggest battles are internal. Without spoiling anything, this is one of the rare times Marvel seems to be listening to fans who’ve been asking for more mature and emotionally rich storytelling. As a lifelong Marvel fan who’s been longing for the franchise to grow up with me, Thunderbolts* is a movie I’m happy to recommend.
4/5
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Movies have always been a huge part of my life. I can remember the first movie I saw in theatres was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2002. And from there I fell in love with movies. I tried to watch as many different types of movies as I can to get myself a well-rounded film palette, but I just love going to the movies and just sitting down and escaping to a world for a couple of hours. I’m just a normal dude who decided to start talking about movies in front of a camera and some people decided they like to listen to me.
My 4 favorite movies are: Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, Training Day, The Matrix.