Finding themselves set-up and marked for death by the head of the CIA, a rag-tag group of unconventional mercenaries are forced to put their differences aside to survive, but when one of the group is captured, they embark on a dangerous rescue mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
After recent commercial and critical wobbles, Marvel Studios is undergoing somewhat of a course correction, with the focus reportedly now much more on quality over quantity.
Thunderbolts* arrives as the 36th entry in the long running franchise and in a bold move, brings together some of the MCU’s lesser known antagonists for a chance at redemption.
Florence Pugh is the closest the film has to a lead, reprising her role as deadly assassin Yelena Belova from 2021’s Black Widow. She’s joined by fellow Black Widow alumni Olga Kurylenko and David Harbour as Taskmaster and Yelena’s adoptive father The Red Guardian. Wyatt Russell’s bargain basement Captain America John Walker is also on board, alongside Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, the only member with any real superpowers to speak of. “So, we all just punch and shoot? an incredulous Yelena proclaims at one point.
Now a congressman, MCU veteran Sebastian Stan leads the group as Bucky Barnes ‘The Winter Soldier’ while the final addition to the team is Lewis Pullman’s Bob, an enigmatic and seemingly harmless loner. Bonding with Yelena over the pairs shared loneliness and similarly tragic past, franchise newcomer Pullman brings real pathos to Bob, a character who is pivotal to the films plot.
Based on a scrappy team of lovable antiheroes, there’s been inevitable comparisons to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, but Thunderbolts* is an earth bound film for a start. While Director Jake Schreier, of Paper Towns and Robot & Frank, has clearly been able to put his stamp on things, (something not all marvel directors can boast) bringing his indie sensibilities to the film, instilling clear themes and focussing much more on character and practical effects.
The casting of the charismatic Pugh four years ago looks to be a masterstroke for Marvel as the British actress is an A lister in the making and leads the film with aplomb, bringing a dry wit to her character but equally adept at the films more emotionally charged material.
There are plenty of funny moments in Thunderbolts*, mostly involving Harbour’s gone to seed Russian Alexei Shostakov, but the script from Eric Pearson is surprisingly mature and never undercuts its serious moments with cheap gags. Mental health is the film’s ever-present theme as our heroes do battle with inner demons as well as outer ones and find solace in their unlikely connection.
Another plus is the self-contained nature of the movie. There are fleeting nods to other films, but it’s not overloaded with references to the overarching MCU narrative, making it much more accessible to new or casual viewers.
An emotionally charged third act, that isn’t just our heroes duking it out with armies of CGI villains, also makes for a refreshing change.
Thunderbolts* is Marvel back on form, successfully recapturing the essence of what made these films so successful in the first place.
A tantalising post credits scene teases much more to come from this team as we head towards next years Avengers: Doomsday. So, on this evidence there may well be life in the MCU yet.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
12/5/25
X @grittster
🦋 @grittster