The MCU has been in a constant state of flux over the past several years. Since Avengers: Endgame, fans have been divided on every new project to release, with some saying that the franchise is dead. I never thought the MCU was dead, but my excitement has been fading over the past two MCU phases. There were a couple of enjoyable projects, but nothing that got me overly excited for the future. I also wasn’t that impressed with the Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal of chairs with names on them (although some would disagree), so I was entering Thunderbolts* with low expectations. Has director Jake Schreier reignited my passion for this franchise, or is this the final nail in the coffin?
After another contract job, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is feeling lost. She feels like there is a void inside her, and nothing she does can change that. She’s sick and tired of repeating the same cycle and wants a career change, perhaps something more in the spotlight. Her boss, Valentina hears her complaints and promises her that after just one more job, Yelena can be in the spotlight all she wants. But when Yelena arrives at her target, she learns she wasn’t the only person Valentina sent. John Walker, Ghost, and Taskmaster have also been given a similar deal, but have they been given the short end of the stick? This ragtag group of shadow operatives (and Bob) will have to work together to figure out just what Valentina has up her sleeve.
This is the type of story that I’ve been begging Marvel to make for years, and I’m elated to say that they knocked it out of the bloody park. From the moment the film begins with Yelena jumping off a building (which Florence Pugh actually did), I was fully invested in this story. It helps that the film tackles a variety of subjects outside of the normal superhero stuff, such as going hard into mental health and how people cope with it. This is mainly shown through Yelena and Bob, but it is still a major component of this story, and the film wouldn’t be as amazing without it.
I also loved how interconnected this film was with returning characters and plot threads resurfacing. Marvel has had a bad habit of bringing back characters just for nostalgia or a cheap pop (I’m looking at you, Deadpool & Wolverine). I’m not totally opposed to this type of fan service, but it was getting to be a bit much. So when Thunderbolts* brought back side characters/villains from previous entries and did it very well, I was pleasantly surprised.
The characters of Thunderbolts* are the heart and soul of the film, with a couple of notable standouts. Yelena is undoubtedly the star of the film, with her being at the forefront of nearly everything that happens. Watching her deal with the trauma she’s been living with all this time was something I never expected to see in a Marvel film of all things. Florence Pugh is excellent in the role, and this is definitely her best Yelena performance to date. You’d be easily mistaken to think that this was a Yelena solo film if it wasn’t for a certain new addition to the MCU whose name is Bob.
I knew nothing of Bob (Lewis Pullman) before going into this film, but he now might be one of my favourite characters in the franchise. Bob’s arc plays a major role in the story, second only to Yelena, and if you had shown me this film a few years ago, it would’ve hit real bloody close. Lewis Pullman does fantastic as this little dork, and I’m very much excited to see how his character progresses going forward.
The rest of the cast is just as stellar, if not a little underutilised. David Harbour is phenomenal as Red Guardian and provides the bulk of the comedy throughout the film. Sebastian Stan also returns as Bucky Barnes and while he doesn’t get much time with the rest of the team, his inclusion as a sort of leader for the Thunderbolts was nice (and he finally gets his hero theme!) Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost was a character I thought I’d never see again in the MCU, so it was nice to see her brought back, even if she had the least development out of everyone (which I wish wasn’t the case, cause I think she’s neat).
I also enjoyed the returning Discount Captain America John Walker, played by Wyatt Russell. He’s very much on his redemption arc after the whole murdering someone with a shield debacle. And how could I forget about Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (say that three times fast), who crushed it as the puppet master behind the scenes.
A common complaint I’ve had with the MCU for a while is that everything looks a bit meh. Nothing looked high quality, with dodgy CGI, flat environments, and an overreliance on greenscreens. That is not the case here because Thunderbolts* looks incredible. It’s like the folks over at Marvel finally remembered that they can be creative with how they film scenes. There’s a distinct visual vibe throughout the entire film that felt like it was tailor-made for me, and I loved every second.
My favourite example is the opening with Yelena (the one she jumps off a building for). The colours, the cinematography, the editing, the music, everything blends together perfectly. And to top it off, there’s a hallway fight scene that is some of the best action I’ve seen in the MCU to date.
Speaking of fight scenes, every fight in this film is pure superhero perfection. Even with characters who have mostly the same abilities (punching and shooting), the film highlights their specialties in dynamic ways. Whether it’s Walker punching a metal box across an entire room or Ghost popping out of nowhere for the kill, every fight feels impactful and unique. Then, you combine everything with the outstanding score from Son Lux, and you have the best MCU film since Endgame (and maybe the entire MCU).
I adored Thunderbolts*. Marvel has finally made a film that targets all of my specific tastes, and I couldn’t be happier. For the first time in a while, I’m actually excited for what’s next in the MCU, and I can’t wait to see this cast of characters again. And if that post-credits scene is anything to go by, I won’t have to wait very long.
Have you seen Thunderbolts*? What did you think? Where would you rank it among the MCU? Let us know in the comments where we can all agree that Bob needs to be protected.
