Genre(s) – Superhero, Action, Adventure,
Director – Jake Schreier
Writers – Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo
Cast – Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Runtime – 126 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆☆☆
Finally, a Marvel movie where trauma isn’t just backstory – it’s the main course.
Thunderbolts* is a Marvel movie that knows it’s not the center of the universe anymore, and it’s better for it.
Plot Summary of Thunderbolts* (Spoiler-Free)
Thunderbolts* kicks off in a world where the Avengers have officially hung up their capes. Enter Yelena Belova, a fiercely skilled operative and the “younger sister” to the late Black Widow, who’s wrestling with her own past and an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She’s been carrying out covert missions for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a high-ranking, powerful CIA director with questionable morals.
When Valentina faces political trouble and possible impeachment, she hatches a ruthless plan to eliminate everyone who might expose her, turning her own operatives against each other. That includes Yelena and a ragtag group of antiheroes.
After a deadly showdown leaves Taskmaster dead and the survivors trapped, they’re forced to team up to escape, despite their mutual distrust. Meanwhile, Valentina is on their trail, determined to save Bob, a nervous young man who’s the result of her secret experiments and holds immense, dangerous power.
Help comes unexpectedly when Yelena’s father, the Red Guardian, and Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, step in to even the odds. The group must set aside their differences and pasts to stop Valentina and Bob, now transformed into a superpowered threat named Sentry, before things spiral out of control.
Thunderbolts* Review: Is It Worth Watching?
If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about watching Thunderbolts*, as Marvel fatigue is real, and I’ve been burned too many times lately, as I am sure many of you have been.
But Thunderbolts* surprised me. It doesn’t try to be the next Avengers. It doesn’t fall into the multiverse trap or stuff itself with cameos. Instead, it decides to actually tell a story about people. Messy, damaged, sarcastic, occasionally violent people.
The film also doesn’t open with a sky beam or a global catastrophe. It opens with awkward tension, moral gray areas, and characters trying to hold their lives together with duct tape and bad coping mechanisms, which sets the tone for the entire film.
Florence Pugh is once again the MVP, and I am a big fan of pretty much most of her work. Here, her character Yelena Belova could’ve easily fallen into a snarky-little-sister trope, but Pugh just refuses to play it flat. Her performance is kind of low-key sadness that simmers just enough under her one-liners, and you can tell Yelena’s tired. She’s exhausted by her past, by the world, by the fact that she keeps getting pulled into other people’s wars.
There’s this moment where she’s just sitting in silence, not crying, not raging, just… sitting. And it hits harder than any explosion in the movie, and she makes the role feel lived in, like Yelena’s been through the wringer and is now just trying to function. The sarcasm is still there, but it’s defensive. It’s a shield. And I bought every second of her performance.
Then we have David Harbour, who continues to be the gruff, vaguely vodka-soaked heart of this weird little squad. Red Guardian might be the least subtle character in the lineup, but he somehow never veers into cartoon territory. He’s ridiculous, with his big bear energy, terrible dad jokes, and a body that looks like it’s fueled exclusively by meat and regret, but there’s a warmth to him that helps grounds everything.
And finally, finally, we get a Bucky Barnes who doesn’t feel like a leftover plot device. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Marvel’s never really known what to do with Bucky post-Winter Soldier. He’s been this stoic background presence, occasionally mumbling a line or two, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
But in Thunderbolts*, Sebastian Stan actually gets to do something. He’s not just a reluctant assassin trying to make amends – he’s an aging soldier with nothing left to prove, no mission to fulfill, and no idea what the hell to do next. And that actually makes him interesting again. There’s a weariness to him, and he’s finally evolving instead of orbiting around other characters’ arcs.
And speaking of evolving, can we talk about Julia Louis-Dreyfus for a minute? I wasn’t sure what to make of her character, Valentina, back when she first showed up in the MCU. I mean, I love her, but I was worried she’d end up being the Marvel version of “Girlboss Nick Fury.” Thankfully, Thunderbolts* gives her space to actually be someone.
She’s not just a smirking bureaucrat anymore. She’s calculating. Cold. Occasionally terrifying. But also. a little bit broken? There’s something deeply unhinged about Valentina, but it’s buried under layers of polish and pragmatism. She’s not chewing the scenery – she’s slicing it up into little pieces and serving it cold.
Then we have Bob. Or Sentry. Or whatever we’re calling him. While I can appreciate every team needs their wildcard, their powerhouse, their “what if Superman but sad” guy. But Bob never really clicked for me. His transformation into Sentry felt rushed, and worse, kind of boring.
The guy’s supposed to have the power of a thousand exploding suns or whatever, but emotionally? He’s beige. Lewis Pullman does his best, but he’s clearly working with just half a character. The script gives him these moments that are supposed to feel tragic or intense, but they just don’t land. There’s a subplot about his mental instability that could’ve been really fascinating if the film didn’t treat it like a footnote. Instead, Bob mostly just stands around looking confused, which, to be fair, is relatable, but not exactly that interesting.
Although from reading around, I appreciate I seem to be in the minority with that opinion. I’m cool with it, though.
Then we have the Taskmaster situation. Remember when they introduced that character in Black Widow and people were like, “Cool, this is gonna go somewhere!” Yeah, well, it didn’t. Taskmaster shows up in Thunderbolts*, does a few admittedly slick moves, and then exits stage left before anything interesting can happen. Such a waste.
I also think some of the supporting players deserved a bit more love. Ghost is here! You remember Ghost, right? No? That’s kind of the problem. She has a cool power set and an interesting backstory, but in Thunderbolts*, she barely registers. Same goes for U.S. Agent, who continues to be that guy who’s almost interesting but keeps getting sidelined. It feels like that film didn’t have time to fully juggle all these characters, so it just focused on the strongest ones and let the others linger in the background.
On the bright side, the action sequences are solid. I mean, I usually tune out a little during Marvel fight scenes at this point. But here, they’re fast, punchy, and dare I say it, fun. They actually mean something. When characters fight, it feels like it is motivated by something, and not just about who can kick the hardest, but about what’s at stake emotionally. The final showdown especially had me locked in, partially because I was invested in the people throwing the punches. There’s a tactile quality to the fights that reminded me of Captain America: The Winter Soldier – not quite that level of choreography, but in the same ballpark.
The tone, too, was a nice surprise. There’s humor, but the jokes actually come from character, not from a screenwriter screaming, “Quick, cut the tension!” through the dialogue. Red Guardian gets most of the laughs, and while a few lines do tiptoe into eye-roll territory, most of the comedy does land quite well.
So, where does that leave me? Well, I walked in cynical, and I walked out hopeful. Not giddy, not jumping-up-and-down, but genuinely pleased. Thunderbolts* isn’t perfect at all, as it’s messy, uneven in parts, and still saddled with some of Marvel’s bad habits. But it also has a heart, and characters who actually feel like real people (or at least real people who occasionally throw tanks at each other). It’s trying something a little different, which I appreciated and liked.
If you’re over the MCU machine and just want to watch a bunch of broken people stumble toward redemption while occasionally punching each other through walls, give Thunderbolts* a shot. It might just make you care again. And that’s more than I expected walking in.
7.5 out of 10. Could’ve used more Ghost. And less Bob.
What I Liked (And What I Didn’t Like)
Pros
Character Depth Over Plot Gimmicks
Unlike many Marvel films where the plot feels more like an afterthought, Thunderbolts* leans into its characters’ pasts and personal struggles. Yelena’s loneliness and trauma add a lot of weight, and the focus on flawed, human characters was a welcome change.
Florence as Yelena Belova
Pugh’s performance is sharp, nuanced, and incredibly engaging. She helps carry the film with a mix of vulnerability and badassery. She was great in Black Widow, but here she’s fully in control of the story.
David Harbour Brings Humor and Heart
Harbour’s Red Guardian is the movie’s comedic and emotional anchor. He’s the kind of character who makes you genuinely care about this ragtag team.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a Complex Villain
Louis-Dreyfus takes the often one-dimensional villain role and turns it into something layered and interesting. Valentina is power-hungry but also smart and strategic, which makes her unpredictable and fun to watch.
Tight and Exciting Action Sequences
Most of the fight scenes are well-choreographed, brisk, and don’t overstay their welcome, and the delivers on excitement without feeling like noise for noise’s sake.
Cons
Bob / Sentry’s Character Feels Flat
Lewis Pullman does do his best with Bob, but the character is the weakest link. The transformation into Sentry feels pretty underdeveloped and much less interesting than it should have been.
Some Familiar Plot Beats
While the character work is fresh, parts of the plot are a bit recycled. Many will expect this, but it’s still a negative for me.
Some Supporting Characters Could Use More Screen Time
While the main ensemble cast is well balanced, a few of the supporting characters don’t get anywhere near enough development.
Who Might Like Thunderbolts*
If you’ve been burned out by the endless parade of superhero movies but still want to see something with some heart, humor, and some edge, Thunderbolts* might work for you. Fans of more character-driven stories will definitely enjoy it. If you liked Guardians of the Galaxy for its ragtag team vibes or appreciated the darker tone of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you’ll find something here to enjoy.
Also, if you’re a Florence Pugh fan. this movie is a must-watch.
Who Might Dislike Thunderbolts*
If you’re a die-hard Marvel fan who only wants big, universe-shaking spectacles with your superhero fix, this one will feel a little low-key and slow. And if you haven’t followed the MCU closely, a lot of the references and plot points will feel confusing or under-explained.
Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching Thunderbolts*?
Thunderbolts* is exactly the kind of Marvel movie I’ve been waiting for since Endgame. It’s honest about the state of the MCU, takes risks by focusing on flawed characters, and manages to be both funny and emotionally engaging – Far from perfect, but the parts that work? They work really well.
If you’re tired of Marvel’s formula and want something that challenges the idea of heroes and power, Thunderbolts* delivers it. It’s a team of misfits figuring out how to be heroes in a world that’s moved on, and it’s a story I’m genuinely interested in following. Plus, with that twisty ending and some great performances, I’m more than happy to stick around for whatever comes next.
Thunderbolts* Trailer
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