The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be growing at an exponential rate lately with movies releasing in theaters every few months and new series dropping on Disney+ at a similar pace. And while there seems to be endless stories to tell with the different characters and source material, in order to keep up with all of the stories and the quality of that fans want – it seems like an almost impossible task. We’ve talked about Marvel fatigue in the past, and at this rate, it doesn’t seem like that may let up as well.
This weekend, Marvel’s 36th movie in the MCU hit theaters – Thunderbolts*. A movie that is primarily comprised of characters that have had smaller roles in previous films, and knowing their back story is kind of paramount to the story in general. Sure, you could head into Thunderbolts* not knowing who the characters are and enjoy the film, but you will be missing some major elements and back story. Now, add in the fact that these characters mostly do not have super powers, or aren’t god like. Some are altered due to experiments, and others are former red room assassins – but we’re not talking Thor or Hulk level powers. Instead, we’re left with sort of the B team of characters that are stepping up to become the heroes that are needed in the moment.
In previous Marvel films we’ve had some of the characters disagreeing and even fighting each other, despite seemingly being on the same side – Captain America Civil War may come to mind. But Thunderbolts* is trying to force a group of lone wolf characters into a group to work together. This doesn’t lead to epic battles against each other, instead it gives the audience a huge amount of bickering and fighting for the first half of the movie.
Yes there are battles, yes there is a bad guy that we already all saw coming, but Thunderbolts* actually brings something different to the MCU this time – a touch of therapy. We saw them dabble with this when they showed Thor depressed in Avengers: Endgame. But they didn’t really cover much of a resolution for the character other than him just stepping up after getting out of his funk.
This time however, Marvel seems to delve a bit more into the back stories and darkness of all of the characters in Thunderbolts*. It shows the darkest moments of their lives and what made them the way they are, and the movie doesn’t seem to limit this just to the heroes this time. It gives something for the audience to connect to, to give more realistic reasons for the character’s behavior (if its excusable) and it is used to help motivate them to be better.
Once Thunderbolts* gets past the bickering and the infighting between the characters, there’s actually a decent movie there. Yes, it requires you to know and actually care about the characters a bit more than other films in the past, but it doesn’t require too much else to enjoy the film. It has action, it has a bad guy we all already dislike, and is surprisingly insightful as far as character development.
Thunderbolts* is probably one of the strongest MCU releases in recent months, but that really doesn’t say too much when you compare to some of their other in theater releases lately. They still seem to be doing stronger work when it comes to their mini series on Disney+, but at least Thunderbolts* is a bit of a break from the mold that they’ve been repeatedly using the last few years.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* is in theaters now.
Overall Rating
About Thunderbolts*
In “Thunderbolts*” Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes—Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late? The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Jake Schreier directs “Thunderbolts*” and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, and the story is by Eric Pearson. Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” releases May 2, 2025, in U.S. theaters.