On paper, you’d be forgiven for thinking Thunderbolts was Marvel’s attempt to emulate the “supervillains go good” premise DC explored in its two Suicide Squad films. However, it takes a notably different approach from the standard superhero team-up formula, with mostly positive results.
For the past several years, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) has been carrying out covert operations under CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) private company, the OXE Group. Feeling disillusioned and unfulfilled, Yelena requests a more heroic change of pace — a promise Valentina agrees to, provided she eliminates a target located at one of OXE’s secret facilities. There, Yelena crosses paths with other former MCU assassins, including John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko).
The group, which also includes a seemingly goofy amnesiac named Bob (Lewis Pullman), quickly realizes that Val set them up to die in order to cover up OXE’s shady dealings. They manage to escape and, with the help of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena’s father, Red Guardian (David Harbour), form a reluctant alliance to hunt Valentina down.
“Most interestingly, Thunderbolts is less an action movie than it is a therapy session for its characters.”
Right out of the gate, it should be said that Thunderbolts does at least feel like Marvel attempting something different, beginning with the opening action sequence of Yelena’s base jump in Malaysia. Focusing on stunt work performed on real sets gives the film a tactility the franchise has been missing. It’s remarkable that something as simple as an argument filmed on a bustling New York street with real extras makes the movie feel livelier than one shot in front of a blue screen.
Most interestingly, Thunderbolts is less an action movie than it is a therapy session for its characters. Each of them is deeply scarred by their pasts, and director Josh Schrier seems more interested in exploring their traumas — a genuinely interesting departure from the MCU’s usual approach. Florence Pugh continues to be the franchise’s post-Endgame MVP; her vulnerable performance as Yelena is the beating heart of the film. Yelena has closed herself off from the world even more since the death of her sister Natasha, a.k.a. Black Widow, and this group may be her last chance to find a sense of belonging.
The same goes for Bob, who turns out to have much more depth than he lets on. Lewis Pullman is excellent here, especially when the film delves into his mental health in the latter half. As with most team-up films, balancing screen time between characters is tricky, but Thunderbolts establishes a solid rhythm between its members fairly quickly. David Harbour draws consistent laughs as Red Guardian, the only one who actively sees potential in working as a group. John Walker being an overly cocky loser who gets humbled by nearly everyone is still as funny as it was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
“This may sound like a broken record, but Thunderbolts really falters when it has to fulfill its obligations to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) formula.”
Unfortunately, Ghost and Taskmaster don’t get nearly the same amount of character development as the rest. They get the short end of the stick — Taskmaster to a hilariously minimal degree.
This may sound like a broken record, but Thunderbolts really falters when it has to fulfill its obligations to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) formula. Previous entries have portrayed Valentina as a more morally ambiguous Nick Fury-type figure, but even the great Julia Louis-Dreyfus cannot make her remotely interesting. Making her the primary antagonist only underscores the issue.
Naturally, the film builds to a world-threatening climax, which happens a little too quickly. And for a franchise that’s now 36 films and 13 series deep, each new entry demands massive exposition dumps in the first act just so casual viewers can keep up. It’s one thing to revisit a single backstory, but five of them? It’s exhausting.
To be fair, this isn’t entirely the film’s fault. Marvel Studios announced most of the cast will return in Avengers: Doomsday long before Thunderbolts hit theatres, which undercuts any real sense of danger. Then again, the franchise almost never kills off its heroes permanently, so that may just be par for the course.
Thunderbolts isn’t great, but compared to the lifelessness of Captain America: Brave New World or the nostalgia-pandering of Deadpool & Wolverine, it may as well be the first drop of water after weeks in the desert. It’s a step in the right direction — but with Doomsday looming on the horizon, it’s not one Marvel seems willing to commit to for long.
