SPOILER ALERT
Critics were not lying when they said “Thunderbolts*” is the best Marvel movie since “Avengers: Endgame.” This installment blows every Marvel movie from the past few years out of the water and fans are finally confident in saying Marvel is “so back.” The movie perfectly balances action, humor and emotional scenes and is engaging from start to finish.
The Thunderbolts are brought together by a shared betrayal by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine after they find out she is working against them and wants them killed to clear her name. The unlikely team consists of Yelena Belova, James “Bucky” Barnes, Red Guardian, John Walker and Ghost. The trailers feature Taskmaster as a member of the Thunderbolts, but she is predictably killed early in the film. In the first act, the characters also stumble across a guy named Bob who appears to be a normal civilian.
The Thunderbolts already feel like more of a family than the Avengers ever did. They are all flawed people with traumatic pasts and, though they are reluctant at first, find comfort and companionship in each other. They are a dynamic and fun group, mostly thanks to David Harbour’s Red Guardian. He is always the first one to break the tension with his over-the-top personality. Everyone else is mostly guarded, but they make funny quips at each other from time to time.
This movie works so well with its emotional layers because it is not a superhero movie reliant on action. When a scene is emotional, that’s all it is. It is not overshadowed by humor; it is intentional and confident in letting its characters be vulnerable and human.
Bob, played by Lewis Pullman, is a beautifully written tragic character who becomes “the void” after entering an experimental medical trial run by Valentina. Bob becomes Valentina’s pawn as she tries to turn him into Sentry – an anti-hero from the comics – and use his mental instability to her advantage.
Yelena and Bob have a special relationship and find comfort in the fact that they both feel alone. Both Florence Pugh and Pullman deliver brilliant and raw performances of their hurt characters. In an emotional scene where Bob is fighting himself in “the void,” Yelena hugs him and tells him he is not alone. Soon after, the other Thunderbolts join in the group hug as Bob defeats his demon. It is easily one of the most emotional and beautiful scenes a Marvel movie has had in a while.
“Thunderbolts” not having a clear cut “identify villain, defeat villain” plot was so effective for the film. Having an “antagonist” just as broken as the “heroes” that essentially save each other was a nice touch.
Before the film came out, the cast was announced to reprise their roles in “Avengers: Doomsday,” so the stakes were lower knowing no one was going to die, but the movie is so well done on its own that it did not even matter.
At the end of the movie, Valentina announces that the Thunderbolts will become the “New Avengers.” The second post credits scene mentions how Sam Wilson is also forming a new Avengers team, as mentioned in “Captain America: Brave New World,” so the two teams will most likely clash in the future. The post credits scene also timely teases the Fantastic Four entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” releasing in July 2026.
The Thunderbolts and Bob will return in “Avengers: Doomsday” set to release in 2026.
