Directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Kevin Feige, Thunderbolts sees a group of antiheroes unify for the greater good. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is wary of her employer, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and plans for a new direction after an agreed-upon final mission. What once appeared as an easy feat quickly turns into a life-or-death mission involving memories and past partnerships.
The marketing and the hype train have been going full speed ahead, leading into opening weekend. So let me begin with this: it’s a fantastic movie, but don’t let the hype affect your expectations. One wild comment I continue to hear grouped with the trailer is, “It’s the best Marvel film since End Game!” As I eye-roll back to my laptop, let’s just take a deep breath and calm down.
Marvel Studios has accomplished one of the most important life items on the docket (whether they intended to or not), and that’s prioritizing our lives, and in this case, mental health. Seamlessly woven into the storyline is an objective where Yelena and Co. confront the darkest corners of their past. The mental health front gets covered threefold, as the antiheroes have to work together, face their pasts, and combat an enemy who uses an invisible power they’ve yet to face.
At the center of the conversation is community. We were never meant to do life alone, and that goes back to the beginning of time. There’s no better example of that than a lesson I heard from pastor, pre-marital counselor, and speaker Christina Girma-Hanfere. The Lord’s Prayer is well-known across the Christian spectrum and has found a home in team sports like football. There’s no surprise or coincidence that a prayer that repeatedly uses the word “us” has become a staple in a competitive group setting. In her lesson “Teach Us To Pray”, Girma-Hanfere effectively conveys the strength and importance of the term “us,” powerfully illustrating why life is not meant to be lived in isolation. Community and shared experiences are essential aspects of life, and that point was proven beautifully in the film.
For Yelena, the community forced upon her consisted of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). When they worked individually, they accomplished very little. But when they worked as a group, they were able to cover more ground and leaned on each other for problem-solving. (*Slight spoiler coming about the antagonist*) Working as a unit proved useful when they went up against a dark force in Robert Reynolds (Lewis Pullman). When Yelena fell victim to the darkness, forcing her to relive painful memories from the past, she overcame them on her own to a certain point. At that juncture, fate would see members of her community rise to the challenge.
The only way to overcome solitude and darkness is with community and light. Layered into the storyline, the film indirectly doles out life lessons while pushing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) forward. The film does nothing new in the name of heroism, but continues the rollout of these new “sorta” heroes who each possess a personality that’s become irreplaceable. Dry humor is a commonality, but desires and intentions vary. John Walker still parades himself as a Discount Dollar Captain America, and Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian) is still the central point of humor.
Overall, the film is good. It teaches great lessons about community and friendship and pushes the hero narrative about doing right by one another and treating people kindly. The most understated detail about this film is its comedy. The off-the-cuff commentary and the jabs they throw at one another are a credit to good writing and even better acting. There are a handful of slow periods during the film, and it tends to drag due to superfluous dialogue. There was one moment in particular where I had to ask myself, “What exactly is the point of this movie?” but as it continued, it was laid bare and patience prevailed.
Thunderbolts gets an 8.5 out of 10. It’s everything you’d expect from Marvel’s favorite band of misfit antiheroes. It was nice to see Wendell Pierce and Chris Bauer, who both brought their respective flair to the film. The PG-13 rating was issued because of the themes that were explored. Addiction, drug abuse, and mental health are just a few of the things covered that warranted the rating.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Genre: Action, Superhero
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: May 2, 2025