Thunderbolts* Review – It Shouldn’t Work… But It Kinda Does?
Thunderbolts* was not on my 2025 MCU hype list. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I’d like it. But surprise surprise… I had a good time. Don’t get me wrong—this movie has issues, and we’ll get to those—but somehow, it manages to deliver a scrappy, emotionally satisfying, and oddly intimate Marvel flick that’s more character therapy session than standard superhero slugfest.
The Setup: Unknown Director, Familiar Faces
Directed by Jake Schreier—yeah, that guy you probably Googled mid-trailer—Thunderbolts* marks his leap from music videos and indie-leaning TV (like BEEF and an episode of Skeleton Crew) into the Marvel meat grinder. But to his credit? The directing wasn’t something I thought about while watching. That’s a win.
The team itself is stacked with solid MCU regulars: Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. No multiversal cameos, no legacy characters—just a bunch of damaged, sarcastic loners trying not to implode.
Plot in a Nutshell: Dirty Work, Deeper Wounds
So what’s it about? In classic Marvel fashion: espionage, betrayal, government cover-ups, and the ol’ “we hired killers and now they know too much” dilemma. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina pulls the strings, assembling a misfit team for black ops that can’t be traced back to her. But when Congress starts snooping, she decides to burn the evidence—including the people.
Cue team betrayal, internal chaos, and an unexpected twist involving Bob Reynolds aka The Sentry—a man battling with a very literal inner demon called The Void. It’s wild. It’s weird. It’s surprisingly heartfelt.
What Worked: A Lot More Than I Expected
Florence Pugh is basically carrying the MCU’s emotional weight at this point. Accent be damned, she’s magnetic.
David Harbour brings legit laughs without tipping into parody.
Sebastian Stan as Bucky continues to be the MCU’s underappreciated MVP. Make him the damn team leader already.
Wyatt Russell finally finds his groove as U.S. Agent. You get him now. I’d pay money to see him and Chris Evans’ Cap in a room together.
Lewis Pullman’s Bob/Sentry? Way better than I feared. The psychological tension, the trauma, the gentle awkwardness—it all landed. They handled The Void with unexpected finesse.
Also? The pacing was chef’s kiss. It never dragged, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of Phase 4.
What Didn’t Work: The Budget is Showing
Okay, let’s talk pain points:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is just not intimidating. At all. She’s a phenomenal actress—but she plays Valentina like she’s still on Veep. I never bought her as a Machiavellian mastermind.
The set pieces are laughably small. Almost every action sequence happens in cramped, smoky rooms that feel like they were filmed in someone’s garage. It screams “budget cuts.”
The Void shows up for maybe 5 minutes. That’s it. And while the emotional rescue was powerful, I was still expecting a little more ka-boom.
The “final fight”? Eh. Not much of one. The climax is more emotional catharsis than fists flying. Beautiful message, sure. But it left my popcorn uneaten.
Deeper Layers: Not Just Punchy Punchy
Here’s where the film surprised me—it’s dealing with some real stuff:
Depression. Isolation. Healing.
Each character’s arc feeds into this idea that sometimes your worst enemy is yourself, and the only way out is together. The “team becomes found family” thing has been done before (Guardians, Suicide Squad), but here it feels smaller, more intimate... and somehow more real.
The Credits Scenes (Because of Course There Are)
Mid-Credit Scene: A fun gag with Red Guardian. Not essential, but it made me chuckle.
Post-Credit Scene: This one’s meatier. Sets up the new team dynamics and teases a new arrival on Earth that could have big implications. It’s not earth-shattering, but it's intriguing.
Final Thoughts: Not a Masterpiece, But Definitely a Win
Thunderbolts** isn’t breaking new MCU ground—but that might be its strength. It's focused. It's weirdly emotional. And it dares to do something Marvel doesn’t often do anymore: slow down and let the characters breathe.
It’s not Infinity War. But it’s not Eternals, either. I’d place it solidly in the middle tier of Marvel movies—ambitious, messy, but surprisingly memorable.
Verdict:
⚡ Worth a Watch
💥 Flawed but Fun
🧠 Emotionally Richer Than Expected
