The Marvel Cinematic Universe party is in full swing again and now that the new ‘Avengers’ movies have been announced, we can expect a lot of build-up and story threads leading up to those mega releases next year. Here is the first one, ‘Thunderbolts*’, made up of the B-listers from other MCU films who are now their own rag-tag team of antiheroes.
The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and US Agent (Wyatt Russell) have been brought together by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to take on a potential new threat to earth named Bob aka Sentry (Lewis Pullman).
This is the first film since ‘Avengers: Endgame’ to really deliver a compelling and character-led story. ‘Thunderbolts*’ utilises its very impressive ensemble to great effect, with each character holding your attention onscreen throughout. It’s no secret that this film doesn’t have the big character draw of an Iron Man, Spider-Man or Thor, but it uses that fact to its advantage by crafting a clever and involving script that explores some very important issues that the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t really explored in-depth before.
At its core, this is a film about the struggles of mental health in all its forms and how it can manifest. It’s a brave attempt at showcasing that some struggles aren’t just about big villains taking over the world. It’s handled with a deft touch, and it certainly helps having high-calibre actors to get your message across. Florence Pugh is a sensational and generational talent. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is essentially her film and she does a remarkable job leading the line. Her performance is breathtaking at times, showcasing Yelena’s internal struggles whilst she tries to maintain her composure and get the job at hand done. Pugh is magnificent yet again, proving that she is one of the finest actors of her generation, and a huge box-office draw.
The rest of the ensemble all play their part too. David Harbour steals his scenes as Alexei (aka Red Guardian) whilst Sebastian Stan delivers the cool element as Bucky the Winter Soldier (including an action sequence on a motorcycle that definitely uses ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ as an inspiration. ‘Thunderbolts*’ also gives some much-needed empathy and reasoning to two characters who desperately needed to break away from their one-dimensional appearances in MCU projects of the past. Ghost (Kamen) and John Walker (Russell) get to do more this time around and their characters now feel fully fleshed out and relevant. Lewis Pullman continues his trend of playing characters named Bob and is excellent as Robert Reynolds aka Sentry/Void, a human infused with super-powers who struggles to balance good and evil.
It's so great to see ‘Veep’ and ‘Seinfeld’ royalty Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a big blockbuster movie, and she doesn’t disappoint here. Valentina is a cold and calculated woman with plenty of dark humour attached and Dreyfus is the ideal actress for the role. She’s always compelling onscreen and shares a great chemistry with the cast. I’ve been a massive fan of Geraldine Viswanathan for some time now, so it’s wonderful to see her in such a big tentpole film too. She’s a great equaliser for the chaos and mayhem onscreen, as is acting legend Wendell Pierce. If there is a downside, it’s how the film uses Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster. A character that wasn’t well received when she debuted, I still think her treatment was a bit too abrupt in ‘Thunderbolts*’ which was a shame.
Made with IMAX in-mind, ‘Thunderbolts*’ looks sensational on the big screen and is a must-see in the format. The action really keeps you invested, and the characterisation is some of the best Marvel has delivered since its inception with Iron Man way back in 2008. When you have great actors and a script that tries to do something differently, you get the best MCU film in years. It delivers for thrills, action and heartfelt emotion and makes ‘Thunderbolts*’ the first must-see summer blockbuster. Expect lots of laughs, exciting set-pieces and maybe a cool cameo during the end credits too.
Cast: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce Director: Jake Schreier Writers: Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo, Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley Certificate: 12A Duration: 126 mins Released by: Disney Release date: 1st May 2025
