‘Thunderbolts*’ (review)

The cinema-going public at large has long had their patience tested with the offerings from the MCU, as Kevin Feige & Co. have overwhelmingly missed the mark since the cinematic universe peaked with the pop culture phenomenon Avengers: Endgame in 2019, leaving both fans and casual audiences alike questioning if there was any point in continuing the film series after the behemoth ensemble blockbuster.

With Thunderbolts*, director Jake Schreier helms his first feature film, where we are reacquainted with former Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh).

Continuing to work in the shadows as she does the bidding of the conniving Director of the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Yelena struggles to find purpose, but when a mission turns out to be a death trap, reluctant alliances must be made if Yelena and the rest of Valentina’s roster of shadow agents wish to survive long enough to learn the true nature of her latest dastardly scheme.

What ensues could have been another painfully formulaic entry going through the tired motions of the 35 films that came before it, however, Thunderbolts* is thankfully a return to a more compelling type of storytelling, all the while also propelling the franchise forward in a more mature direction.

While there are still moments of levity, the usual quipping undercutting serious moments largely falls to the wayside here, as the film has an increased focus on telling a cohesive and engaging story, which is more than could be said for 2025’s first MCU theatrical release, Captain America: Brave New World.

Offering a significantly more character-driven narrative, Thunderbolts* spends more time than usual exploring and expanding on the emotional complexity of its characters, just as the exploration of themes such as mental health are handled in a manner that is thoughtful and creative without becoming ham-fisted or insensitive.

Pugh leads the proceedings with another competent and nuanced performance, Yelena’s filial relationship with David Harbour’s  Alexei Shostakov being explored further, which also allows Harbour to imbue the goofy Red Guardian with more depth, allowing him to become a more balanced character than that of his MCU introduction in the underwhelming Black Widow.

For the most part, the other recurring characters also go through some degree of meaningful character development, and Lewis Pullman’s MCU debut brings an unassuming groundedness to the film that is rare for the franchise, highlighting that the writing is much more consistent than it has been for a long time.

The action is also a vast improvement on the onslaught of CGI-dreck MCU action sequences have overwhelmingly devolved into, with Thunderbolts* relying more on the use of wide shoots and practical stunts, and the final showdown approaches the concept of an ensemble battle set piece from a decidedly more creative angle than the franchise has managed lately.

There was a time where the release of a new MCU movie was synonymous with competent mainstream entertainment, however, as Marvel Studios got ahead of themselves and began to oversaturate the market and constantly announced new projects, it has been difficult to get excited about their releases, and while Thunderbolts* is not a grand return to form, it at least competently approaches its narrative with more maturity and a promise of what the franchise will hopefully be able to deliver going forward.

Verdict: 8 out of 10.

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Produced by Kevin Feige
Story by Eric Pearson
Screenplay by Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo
Based on Marvel Comics
Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell,
Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan,
David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus