THUNDERBOLTS
Starring: Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Wendell Pierce
Director: Jake Schreier
NICK
I’m going to start off with the good stuff as I enjoyed a lot of Thunderbolts*. The subjects of trauma and belonging are deftly handled, both story-wise and cinematically. Florence Pugh and David Harbour both give their best MCU showings yet as Yelena and Alexei, respectively, while Lewis Pullman’s Bob makes for a welcome addition. The fights are engaging, and the comedy is organic and funny. The only thing negatively affecting my rating is the pacing of the final 30 minutes. There's a rush to the conclusion that feels claustrophobic compared to the rest of the film. Besides that, though, this exceeded my expectations.
QUENTIN
If you’ve seen the “Marvel is trash! – Marvel is back!” meme, Thunderbolts* puts extra emphasis on the positive side of that seesaw. Through a terrific cast, resonant character work, and surprisingly layered writing that touches on trauma, trust, mental health, and finding your tribe, this Guardians of the Galaxy-style team-up is the first MCU movie in a long while to feel like Infinity Saga-era Marvel. The action and humor are typically on point (feeling fresh, even), and the world building to set up future movies is more organic than it has been in recent efforts. Good job, Marvel; Thunderbolts* is a winner. Now, keep it up.
AMARÚ
If director Jack Schreier can successfully use an entire* ensemble with great action, effective comedy, and tremendous heart like this, maybe he should direct an Avengers film. Thunderbolts* is a more-than-solid MCU entry in every* aspect we’ve come to enjoy. Even Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a better version of her still-too-ham-fisted portrayal of Allegra Valentina de Fontaine. The script’s employment of her character boosts the emotional impact the titular group’s marred pasts provides, especially through Lewis Pullman and Florence Pugh’s outstanding chemistry. To find out how surprisingly impactful, and what my additional asterisks mean, you’re going to have to watch the movie. Which you should.
ROBERT
When I was projecting out my expectations and excitement of the three MCU projects for 2025, Thunderbolts* would’ve been a distant third on the list. Then, the movie drove up like Bucky Barnes on his motorcycle and blew up those preconceived notions as it unfolded before my eyes. Those eyes had to fight back tears of all kinds: of joy from laughing and of sadness from empathizing with characters as they struggled for purpose, for positive mental outlook, and for connection. Thunderbolts* managed to be cohesive, be surprising, and be mirthful, which are three adjectives Marvel has struggled to imprint on their films until now.
ADRIANO
I'll give the MCU half a point for making half a great movie because the first half of Thunderbolts* is unbearable at times. The structure and pacing are sloppy, and aside from the seeds of effective character writing they plant, everyone is relegated to "the quirky one." The second half, though, kicked my Marvel-hating ass a bit. Some characters are left in the dust, but I loved the mature and humanistic approach to mental health, even taking swings that were effective. It's rough around the edges, but I'll take stuff like Thunderbolts* over the other slop Marvel has been releasing any day.
BODE
Even by the low bar the MCU has recently set for itself, it says something that Thunderbolts* manages to clear it. By virtue of feeling more like a real movie and less like another branding exercise, it succeeds with a structure that puts actual emphasis on its characters, genuine thought into its visual look (decent colour grading, real locations, etc), humour that doesn’t undercut emotional beats, and even some fairly memorable music (courtesy of Son Lux). I won’t say Thunderbolts* is a massive step in the right direction (its best moments don’t come until the third act), but it’s at least a step.
