‘Thunderbolts:’ A bunch of scoundrels out to save the world
By Wendell Gaa
The 2025 summer movie season has now officially kicked off with the release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) newest film “Thunderbolts,” which I must say is a different kind of superhero movie from what we are used to seeing from the MCU, let alone a standard comic book-based film adaptation.
At its core, “Thunderbolts” is basically the story of a group of antiheroes who are recruited by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by the always animated Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to form an unorthodox team with the aim of protecting humanity from evil-doers. The thugs are comprised of Russian assassin Yelena Belova; John Walker A.K.A. U.S. Agent; Antonia Dreykov A.K.A. Taskmaster; Ava Starr A.K.A. Ghost and Alexei Shostakov A.K.A. Red Guardian and father figure to Yelena. Coming into the mix is MCU veteran Bucky Barnes or better known as the Winter Soldier from the past “Captain America” and “Avengers” films.
The film’s plot revolves around the scoundrel team being sent on a mission by Valentina, and in the process soon find themselves in the company of a mysterious stranger who only goes by the name of Bob. The ragtag team of misunderstood misfits eventually find out that their assignment is not what it appears to be, and they all soon find themselves forced to work with each other in order to not only survive, but to face down an impending threat which could consume most of global civilization.
For the general movie-goer that has never read any of the Marvel Comics iterations of the “Thunderbolts” (myself included) nor have ever watched any of the past MCU films or TV shows, in particular “Black Widow” or any of the “Captain America” movies, you may feel a huge disconnect while trying to understand the flow of “Thunderbolts.” Having said that, “Thunderbolts” is a bold, brilliant and absolutely engaging cinematic adventure, just don’t expect it to be at the same epic level as “Avengers.”
I have not exactly been a fan of every MCU film which has been released within the past few years in this post-“Avengers: Endgame” era, but I will go on the record to say that “Thunderbolts” is a great addition to the MCU franchise and an enjoyable standalone film. It further takes the concept of putting together a least likely bunch of superheroes forming one team to a whole new level, and even more so than their counterparts at the rival DC Comics company’s “Suicide Squad,” another superhero team composed of rogue antiheroes. In between the well-choreographed action in the movie, there is a feeling of heart and thought in the moments of drama and dialogue as the antiheroes interact with one another, giving the characters a very human portrayal.
Yelena, played by the always outstanding English actress Florence Pugh, and Red Guardian, portrayed by the wonderful David Harbour whom we all know and love as the strong-willed and family-dedicated Chief Hopper on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” are the best standout characters for me throughout the entire film. The conviction within Yelena is evident from Pugh’s strong performance, and a steady display of character growth from her first appearance in the “Black Widow” movie. And while Harbour’s Red Guardian does add a highly entertaining comedic flare throughout the film, his paternalistic interactions with Yelena are a highlight contribution to the heart and soul of the plot.
The one drawback in the film for me was the relative lack of focus on the rest of the rogue team members, and I would have especially loved to get a bit more character concentration on Ghost and U.S. Agent, but this is understandable given the necessary movie runtime limitations, which overall don’t hinder “Thunderbolts” from being a fun film.
