Heroes Under Pressure: Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Review

Disposable delinquents. Scrappy antiheroes. West Chesapeake Bay’s premier peewee soccer team. At first glance, you’ll think of the Thunderbolts as just another misfit mash-up of “heroes.” And you’d be right. But they’re also flawed, broken, and painfully human — which makes for powerful MCU entertainment.

Now that Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is in theaters, a new team takes shape. They’re not family like the Fantastic Four. They’re barely even coworkers like the Avengers. Yet the Thunderbolts still strike a big chord. With high stakes, exciting fight choreography, and affecting performances (plus two post-credits scenes), Thunderbolts* returns to what makes audiences enjoy Marvel movies.

Warning: Top secret spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.

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Thunderbolts* Fight Choreography

By this point in the MCU, we expect jaw-dropping fight scenes. Thunderbolts* stands out because it highlights characters who had previously been overlooked for their flashier co-stars. Then, it pits them against each other with surprising results. Ghost was the antagonist of Ant-Man and The Wasp, and then she disappeared (as she does). Watching her flit in and out of molecular stability, up against the mimicry of Taskmaster, is a battle worth watching. Throw in the skilled mercenary tactics of Yelena Belova and John Walker and you’ve got an assassin free-for-all.

This first fight scene in the incinerator is the film’s best use of its heroes’ abilities — until they have to face Sentry. Up against this all-powerful monstrosity, nobody stands a chance. None of these “defective losers” can match Sentry’s power. For super hero fans, it’s thrilling to see a villain appear who is an actual challenge. The stakes feel real and desperate. Watching Sentry is almost like seeing Scarlet Witch at full power. Both figures can deflect an attack with the flick of a wrist. And both are hellbent on getting what they want, no matter who gets in their way.

Another action sequence worth mentioning is the team’s high-speed escape. If you’ve never seen a limousine flipping over on a desert highway, are you really living? Plus, Bucky Barnes rolling up in a Terminator-style entrance shows you can take the winter out of the soldier, but the soldier’s still in there. That arm is fresh out of the dishwasher and ready to fight.

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Florence Pugh Shines as Yelena Belova

Without any surprise, Yelena is the film’s driving force. Florence Pugh carries the whole movie in terms of emotion and action. She has the best fight scenes, drawing on her formidable Widow training, but she also draws in viewers to a painful personal journey. Every team needs a leader, and Yelena is exceptionally capable of making this inverse Avengers setup work. While Ghost is mostly serious, John Walker is a mansplaining mess, and Red Guardian is there for laughs, Yelena brings balance. She softens Ghost, puts John in his place, and shares tearful moments with her dad.

As seen in Black Widow and Hawkeye, Yelena is deadly yet full of heart. Among her teammates, she steps into a role much like Natasha did with the Avengers, bringing together unlikely personalities. Like Alexei says, Yelena walks into a room and makes it brighter. But she struggles in Thunderbolts* to face her growing trauma. It’s so much easier to just shove it down rather than face it. Nat is dead and Yelena wonders how she can live up to her sister’s heroics. Her light has grown a bit dimmer. Is she even a hero at all? It’s a question that leads Yelena to connect with Bob.

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Lewis Pullman as Bob/Robert Reynolds/Sentry/Void

When the film opens, Marvel’s classic title sequence flips through comic book images of Robert Reynolds, AKA Sentry. Once “Bob” is introduced, the character’s trajectory focuses on who he is and the limitations of his powers. In this incarnation, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has pulled the strings to create a new super hero whom she can manipulate. But as her assistant Mel points out, this is no Steve Rogers. When you give a damaged person power, the results are unpredictable. The world falls victim to their shortcomings.

In her arrogance, de Fontaine says, “People love a classic hero,” and that’s what Sentry represents. With a blonde dye job and a fluttering cape, he is a walking, talking, flying stereotype. His power is immense. Bucky tries to stop him with a punch and Sentry doesn’t even break a sweat when he pulverizes the Vibranium arm. It’s chilling to see someone whose power could have truly devastating results — it feels like that hasn’t happened in a while, not since Thanos or Wanda.

The Call of the Void

Just like in the comics, Sentry taps into the potentially horrific reality of a super hero. As he says, “Why would a god take orders from anyone at all?” We think of super heroes as those who will save us. But Sentry is a corruption of power. Allegra de Fontaine foolishly creates a weapon she can’t control in Sentry. It seems only Yelena can truly understand him.

From the start, Yelena is hurting. The same goes for Bob. So their connection is vital to the film’s resolution. Once Sentry shifts into Void, a shadow being capable of snuffing out anyone and anything, only Yelena can reach across that dark chasm. His very appearance evokes absolute emptiness. Two tiny pinpoint eyes floating in a complete absence of existence. Their struggle together illuminates the murky effects of mental illness, which even heroes and super-powered people face. While the group-hug climax might seem a little trite, it does illustrate the need for community. When all the lights go out, sometimes community is the only thing that pulls us back from giving into our own personal voids.

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Thunderbolts* Has 2 Post-Credits Scenes

While the credits roll, the Thunderbolts team recreates iconic magazine covers. Their newfound notoriety puts them in the spotlight, but the world remains skeptical of the new heroes. (Side Note: When Allegra de Fontaine televises the Thunderbolts’ debut as the New Avengers, the TV network is called Global Nexus Broadcasting. “Nexus?” Hmm…) The first post-credits scene is a quick one that uses Red Guardian for a laugh. But the real news comes 14 months later.

Following their public debut, the New Avengers are up against Sam Wilson, AKA Captain America. Does Sam also have a team? This second post-credits scene is after all the credits roll. Yelena hints at an ongoing space crisis as well as the Thunderbolts clashing with Sam. Bucky, Ghost, Red Guardian, John Walker, and Bob are all there, with Bob notably powerless (for the moment). Suddenly, Yelena detects an extra-dimensional starship entering the atmosphere. And it belongs to the Fantastic Four.

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Now that the world’s super hero scene is reforming, the debate opens: Which team are you rooting for?

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