Thunderbolts* (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

The West Chesapeake Bay Thunderbolts, the New, erm…the Thunderbolts are a ragtag team of misfits accidentally created by the manipulative Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). As they band together to avenge their attempted murder, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), and more must overcome a power far greater than what they could have ever imagined. For the first time in years, it’s abundantly clear that Marvel knows the direction that it wants to head–and the Thunderbolts* may just be the face of the franchise at this point. 

I won’t waste your time with telling stories of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been for the past six years; we all know where it’s been… 

Thunderbolts* felt like a film that struggled during pre-production, with the loss of both Steven Yuen and Ayo Edebiri in pivotal roles. Finally, however, it came to be–released on May 2nd–the start of Mental Health Awareness Month. That’s important to note because this film finds itself far more grounded than past MCU installments, with a narrative developed almost entirely around the idea of mental health. The film finds its footing almost immediately with the reintroduction of Yelena, a fan favorite who’s yet to have her moment to shine in this greater cinematic universe. Thunderbolts* incorporates ideas from the past seventeen years of cinema (which is something I’ll touch on later), but remains effectively independent from much of what came before. In no way is this film a reboot, but it feels like Kevin Feige, Writers Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, and Director Jake Schreier knew that this had to be a fresh idea, something not entirely reliant on the past, but that had the ability to propel the MCU forward and express to the superhero-loving world that there’s a clear plan going forward. 

Again, the idea of mental health is prominently featured in Thunderbolts*, grounding this film in a way that I hadn’t anticipated. With the inclusion of enhanced beings and a franchise that is built on superheroes, it’s sometimes difficult to find real-world problems represented within these properties. That’s certainly not the case here, as each and every character experiences a complete arc, full of honest struggles that are accessible to all. While Yelena is ultimately the face of this film, the newest addition to the MCU, Bob/Sentry/Void (Lewis Pullman) plays just as pivotal a role in developing the secondary narrative of mental health issues. I’m ranting, I’m repeating myself–but as someone who has struggled with mental health, the importance of what Thunderbolts* says and does in this arena can’t be overstated. 

Interconnectivity is the bread and butter of the MCU, relying heavily on the ability to have a series of properties and characters existing at once, frequently referencing them along the way. Since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the disjointed nature of the films and television series have frustrated viewers–and this may be the first time (in a long time) that I felt the MCU did an effective job of connecting to other properties without going overboard. Subtle callbacks to Iron Man, The Avengers, and more play a role in reeling viewers into Thunderbolts* and reminding them of the importance of what’s come before, without allowing what’s come before to overshadow what’s to come. The repeated nods are warranted and welcome.

Many have praised Thunderbolts* as being nearly perfect–one of the best films in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While I don’t discount their opinion, and can certainly see how they’ve come to think that–I found the first act of the film to be a bit disjointed. I had hoped for a bit more fluidity in the opening act as everything was pieced together, but I found that the film took too many liberties in jumping from place to place–not giving viewers enough time to breathe in the early going. 

Other than that, however, I felt that Thunderbolts* did a spectacular job of including tidbits from the past, ushering in a clear vision for the future, while developing thought-provoking characters and narratives throughout. Again, the grounded nature of this film is what appealed to me the most–allowing viewers to appreciate the humanity in each of these characters, while acknowledging the fact that they exist in a world of superhumans and aliens. I initially rated Thunderbolts* a seven out of ten, with the thought that by the time I had finished this written review it may have dropped another half point. However, the more I talk about Thunderbolts*, the more I consider the gravity of what it presents to viewers (in relation to both the MCU and the real world), the more I like this film. Thunderbolts* really is one of the best films since Avengers: Endgame, and a film that I’m likely to watch again and again. 

Directed by Jake Schreier. 

Written by Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo, etc. 

Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce, Chris Bauer, etc. 

8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING