When looking at the slate of upcoming MCU films, Thunderbolts* was so low on my ‘most anticipated’ list that I had no hopes for its success. Why would I care about a movie focusing on supporting characters pulled from other MCU entries? However I’m proud to eat my words because Thunderbolts* is the first old-school MCU experience we’ve gotten since Avengers: Endgame, and it’s fantastic.
Since Endgame, the MCU has strayed away from the serialised structure that made it as big as it is. Each film used to follow from the last and feed into the next. While we’ve gotten awesome, large-scale films like Deadpool & Wolverine or Spider-Man: No Way Home, that feeling of being an interconnected universe where every entry mattered has been lost. Brave New World was mildly successful in resurrecting that, but it was still a misguided mess. Now, Thunderbolts* has shown everyone how it’s done by linking to and referencing the films preceding it, while teasing exactly how the narrative feeds into the films dropping in the next year. It makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel like a universe again, a feeling that’s been absent since 2019. It’s not just in terms of the narrative either – it’s gritty and scrappy in its action and aesthetic, it takes moments to flesh out its characters and uses comedy tastefully rather than in abundance. It’s reminiscent of the era of the MCU surrounding the first Avengers, and that’s blissfully refreshing. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I believe the MCU is returning to its era of peak serialised storytelling, and somehow Thunderbolts* is the film that has sparked that.
The idea of putting together a ragtag group of misfits it by no means new, but thanks to the entertaining personalities, well-structured narrative and meaningful character development, this film is a blast. At the forefront of the story is Florence Pugh’s Yelena. She’s effectively the leader of this hastily thrown-together team and receives the most screen time in the way of character development. This creative choice makes sense since she was the standout of Black Widow, regularly stealing the spotlight from Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha. So much of this film hinges on her performance and she delivers in selling the action just as well as the emotion. She’s a powerhouse actor and is captivating through every scene as the story guides us through some of Yelena’s past and the events that have shaped her. With the MCU lacking much in the way of leadership recently, I can see Yelena having an industry-leading presence. While Yelena receives the majority of the focus, the rest of the cast are by no means pushed aside… well all aside from one.
John Walker Red Label (Wyatt Russell) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) each bring a valuable presence to the squad, adding greater depth with their clashing ideals and personalities. They don’t get the same level of backstory treatment as Yelena, but they make their impact in the present by contributing to the action and dramatic beats where necessary. To play the comparison game, they’re more like the Black Widow and Hawkeye to Yelena’s Iron Man. Then you have the return of both Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour), and boy are they incredible. Stan jumps back into the role of Bucky like it’s nothing, leading with his charisma and stoic demeanour. But it’s David Harbour who steals the show across so many scenes with his impeccable comedic timing. So much of the film’s comedy is driven by his character, and it always fits within the context of the scene. The way he goes back and forth with other members of the Thunderbolts makes for plenty of hilarity and chaos, putting a smile on my face time and time again. Red Guardian is a source of the comedy but he also has a role in the emotion of Yelena’s arc, and Harbour’s performance helps really enhance those beats.
Speaking of the comedy, other MCU films struggle with cramming too much comedy into serious moments, ultimately resulting in a jarring tone. Thunderbolts* manages to get that balance just right. It never feels like it’s pushing the comedy too hard or where it doesn’t fit. When shit’s going down and the stakes are raised, the jokes take a backseat in favour of crafting tension. The action is another element where the film strangely excels. As Yelena herself mentions, this is a team where everyone’s powers are limited to punching and shooting. No flying, no gods, no worries. Sure, Ghost can phase through walls, but there’s hardly any offensive value in it. The action is dirtier and grittier than we’ve seen recently, playing into the team’s abilities and making it all very impactful. Considering they’re going up against potentially the most powerful villain in the MCU thus far, the film does a great job at trying to level the playing field.
Speaking on the villain, I don’t know how vague to be since it’s clear as day who it is, but I won’t go naming names unless someone wants to remain blind as blind can be. But this villain is handled fantastically from the standpoint of showcasing the extent of their abilities, turning them into a formidable foe and giving them an emotion-driven arc. Some of that emotion-driven content is a little rushed, but not so much that I feel like I don’t know the character. Returning in a villainous capacity is Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina, getting the most screentime in the MCU yet. Her role has been teased for years, so it’s great to finally see her arc come to fruition. Louis-Dreyfus is such a talent and has a great on-screen presence that makes every one of her scenes a tonne of fun.
If I was to highlight the film’s main weakness, it would be one specific sequence that takes place in a mind-bending space, to keep it vague. I think this sequence, while it’s cool and serves it’s purpose, isn’t quite as deep and epic as it could have been. It’s fun and exciting, much like the rest of the movie, but once it was over I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting a little bit more. It’s literally my only small gripe in a film that otherwise impressed me from end to end.
In the end, Thunderbolts* has delivered my favourite MCU experience since 2019. There’s other films since then that have been awesome, but none of them have generated excitement for the universe outside of the film itself quite like this one. It exhibits a great balance of action, suspense, emotion and comedy much like how the early MCU films approached things. On top of that, it has a fun narrative with plenty of focus on the characters, and benefits from operating on a smaller scale. If you’ve been unconvinced by the quality of the MCU’s recent trajectory, this is the film that will get it back on track.
9/10
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