Movie Review: THUNDERBOLTS* storms into theaters with strong cast, fun story

Marvel Studios seems to have finally risen out of the slump that has been caused by its last few releases. The highly anticipated Thunderbolts* is finally in theaters, and it is one of the best Marvel flicks in quite some time. Compiled of some of the MCU’s castaway rejects, an unlikely alliance forms between Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ava Starr, Antonia Dreykov, Bucky Barnes, Alexei Shostakov and…..Bob? If these names aren’t ringing any buzzers, you might recognize them by their formal titles; White Widow, Captain America (briefly,) Ghost, Taskmaster, Winter Soldier, Red Guardian, and again……Bob. (He has a title but for some that enjoy going in blind, I won’t ruin it.)

The cast is mostly made up of returning MCU stars like Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyat Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and Olga Kurylenko. Julia Louis-Dreyfus also reprises her role as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Newcomers Lewis Pullman and Geraldine Viswanathan also join the cast to round out the roster. The film sees Valentina facing impeachment and under investigation, where she must tie up all loose ends, including her shadow op units working under her having completed some “colorful” assignments. For Valentina, the easiest plan is to let them take each other out, allowing for assurance by mutual destruction. The resilient group, and Bob, manage to make it out of Valentina’s fatal trap and set out to settle the score. Having never worked as a team, there are several snags and challenges along the way, as a lot of antiheroes have a lot of redemption to catch up on, and never really fit the role of “hero.”

Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* breathes a resuscitative breath into the MCU after February’s Captain America: Brave New World left it on life support. When the MCU debuts a film that brings in characters back from a wide range of films and series, it always seems to work because the build-up is happening over the span of a few years. But the payoff has higher expectations. Luckily for fans, Thunderbolts* delivers in all the ways imaginable.

The action scenes are dispersed generously throughout the film and the storyline delivers a concentrated examination of the antihero’s journey that isn’t a regurgitation of DC’s Suicide Squad films. Instead, the group of Thunderbolts each seem to have their own personal struggle, and this is amplified by highlighting the internal struggles of the human condition. Pugh’s Yelena Belova standouts in her role, and Schreier knew what he was doing by bringing her character for the foreground of this specific story. Pugh has been a fan-favorite since her breakout MCU debut in 2021’s Black Widow. While the film doesn’t bring back a lot of lore from previous films, it does set a precedent for what’s to come in future MCU projects, and that future seems quite exciting. Another standout moment for Thunderbolts* is the two post-credit scenes, which offer a promising glimpse as to what fans can expect over the next few years. The film was an absolute blast, contained a perfect balance of action and witty writing, and is sure to steer the MCU back into the glorious reigns of box office domination.

Thunderbolts* earns an A+.