ThunderBolts * - Marvel Strikes Back

ThunderBolts *

English / Action
126 mins
In Theatres

Six years (and about a week) ago, Avengers: Endgame spectacularly—and emotionally, for fans like me—brought down the curtain on one of the most ambitious cinematic chapters in history, spanning 12 years and 22 movies. That finale was a high point like no other!

Since then… Call it superhero fatigue, or Marvel’s overzealous attempts to meet diversity obligations— leading to a flood of new characters (Ms Marvel, Moon Knight, She Hulk etc..),  who barely stuck around, something always felt off. The magic never quite returned.

There were a few bright spots—Loki, WandaVision, maybe Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for a bit. Aside from the multiple Spider-Men, nothing really got the heart racing, gave goosebumps, or even tempted me to return to a theater. Deadpool and Wolverine was fun, but in hindsight, maybe it got more attention that it should have,  because of the long drought we fans had to endure. After all, it took a while to recover from the nightmares of twerking She-Hulk 😄.

Thunderbolts* picks up after the events of Captain America: Brave New World. Due to a situation unwittingly triggered by the slimy CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a ragtag bunch of anti-heroes—Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Ghost  (Hannah John-Kamen), Captain Walker (Wyatt Russell), and the fuzzy, goofy Red Guardian (David Harbour)—are brought together by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as Thunderbolts (cool back story to this name!)

Forced to confront their insecurities and past failures, the team must go up against Bob (Lewis Pullman) , an unwitting test subject in Project Sentry—Valentina’s twisted design to create the ultimate superhero. The film leans heavily into dialogue with lots of humor, doing well to humanize these flawed heroes while exploring their mental frailties.

The premise is somewhat reminiscent of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, but with a darker undertone. Much of the screen time is spent establishing Yelena as the emotional core of the group, much like Natasha Romanoff was for the OG Avengers. While this is well-executed, it occasionally feels a bit heavy—Natasha’s emotional depth and character was developed across her different movies.

The movie isn’t without flaws. Some characters get significantly more attention than the others. A key character appears in just two scenes before being killed off (no clue why!). The action sequences are serviceable—nothing spectacular—but for a set piece in the desert, with a true “mass” moment that really hits.

That said, the cast gives it their all. They put up a spirited defense of their poignant, broken characters and deliver their roles with flair and chutzpah. Geraldine Vishwanathan as Mel, Valentina's assistant, surprises with great screen presence and poise. Julia Louis Dreyfus has a great time playing the manipulative orchestrator. 

David Harbour brings the great laughs, while Wyatt Russell and Sebastian Stan bring the steel. Florence Pugh gets the most screen time and does a wonderful job balancing wit and wail!. Lewis Pullman as the troubled yet easily malleable soul is the real scene stealer.

I walked into Thunderbolts with zero expectations. By the time the second post-credits scene rolled in - judging by the claps and howls—all us in the cinema were all rooting for this band of misfits and definitely had a good time.

Safe to say that Thunderbolts may just have put Marvel back on track. With RDJ as Doctor Doom looming in 2026, hope flickers again!