What separates Thunderbolts* (2025) from recent MCU offerings is that it doesn’t waste its runtime setting up future Marvel projects or spinning its wheels in multiverse exposition. Instead, this film feels like a payoff—a culmination of arcs for characters who’ve long existed on the periphery. The focus is on character development and interpersonal dynamics, not a broader cinematic roadmap. It’s refreshing, even a little therapeutic, and one of the more grounded and emotionally resonant Marvel movies in years.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Movie Review
Thunderbolts* may not feature the most iconic names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it finds unexpected strength in its emotional core and character-driven storytelling. Directed by Jake Schreier, making his MCU debut after co-directing the acclaimed series Beef, Thunderbolts* brings together a group of misfit characters from previous MCU movies and television series like Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man and the Wasp to form a surprisingly effective and introspective superhero team-up.
What separates Thunderbolts* from recent MCU offerings is that it doesn’t waste its runtime setting up future Marvel projects or spinning its wheels in multiverse exposition. Instead, this film feels like a payoff—a culmination of arcs for characters who’ve long existed on the periphery. The focus is on character development and interpersonal dynamics, not a broader cinematic roadmap. It’s refreshing, even a little therapeutic, and one of the more grounded and emotionally resonant Marvel movies in years.
The titular team includes John Walker (Wyatt Russell) from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) from Ant-Man and the Wasp, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and both Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) from Black Widow. All of them, previously working separately for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), find themselves the target of her latest attempt to erase the evidence of her morally dubious operations. Once it becomes clear they’ve all been sent to eliminate each other, the team bands together in an act of rebellion—and survival.
At the center of this twisty, self-contained story is Bob, played by Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), a failed experiment turned godlike superhuman known as Sentry, whose depression and split personality as The Void poses a world-ending threat. His arc is the heart of Thunderbolts*, and the film treats his mental health struggle with unexpected nuance for a Marvel movie. Pullman delivers a soulful performance, capturing the deep sadness and fragility beneath his immense power. The bond between Bob and Yelena—two people shaped by trauma and exploitation—is a standout element, grounding the film in genuine emotional stakes.
While the action sequences are large in scale and impressively staged (without devolving into CGI chaos), it’s the characters that carry Thunderbolts*. Florence Pugh (We Live in Time, Midsommar) continues to prove she’s one of the MCU’s most compelling assets, bringing emotional vulnerability and sharp comic timing to Yelena. David Harbour’s (Violent Night, Gran Turismo) Red Guardian remains a lovable oaf, and Wyatt Russell (Night Swim) delivers some of the film’s best darkly comedic moments. Even with limited screen time, Sebastian Stan (A Different Man, The Apprentice) and Hannah John-Kamen bring gravitas and presence, though Stan’s role, in particular, feels more symbolic than substantial.
The film’s weakest link is Valentina. Despite Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s talents, her character never quite lands. Her motivations feel thin, and the payoff from her slow-burn appearances in post-credit scenes across previous films falls flat. She’s outshined by the complexity and chemistry of the main team, and her scenes drag in comparison.
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Still, Thunderbolts* delivers where it counts. This is not just a Thunderbolts* review that praises the film for being “better than expected” because expectations were low—it genuinely earns its praise. It’s a character-focused story with themes of regret, mental health, and second chances, wrapped in thrilling action and strong performances. It may lack the headline names of the Avengers films, but Thunderbolts* manages to stand toe-to-toe with many of them in emotional depth and execution.
By the time the credits roll—when the team unofficially becomes “The New Avengers”—there’s a sense that this could be a new chapter worth investing in.
Score: 7/10
Thunderbolts* (2025)
- Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Geraldine Viswanathan
- Director: Jake Schreier
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Superhero
- Runtime: 127 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: May 2, 2025
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- Read More: Thunderbolts* on Wikipedia and IMDb