Stubs - Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* (2025) starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko,   Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Directed by Jake Schreier. Screenplay by Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo. Based on Marvel Comics. Produced by Kevin Feige. Run time: 127 minutes. Color. USA. Superheroes, MCU

This summer saw the end of the MCU’s Phase Five, Thunderbolts*, and the beginning of Phase Six, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Both under-performed at the box office but both were better films than might have been expected. My loyalty to the MCU sort of expired after the end of Phase Three. I’m sure I’m like a lot of viewers who decided after 11 years, the goal of the continued MCU seemed to have only one purpose, to make money. The expansion into “must see” TV shows didn’t help and my devotion faded.

However, I do like to keep my toe in, but I’m more cautious with my dollars. Thunderbolts* looked interesting but was it worth $100 to see it (tickets and refreshments included)? My answer at the time was no, and I waited for it to appear on Disney+, which it has done recently.

I will have to say that I was very surprised and the movie was very well-made, with good acting, action, and story.

Florence Pugh, who made her MCU debut in Black Widow (2021), is the obvious star and does carry the film. At the beginning, she is Yelena Belova, an assassin working for the director of the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Wanting to get out from under the underworld work and into something more public facing, her request is met with a promise but only after one more job.

But it turns out it’s a suicide mission, or at least that was Valentina’s intent. Facing growing investigations meant to impeach her, Valentina has been destroying everything that could be incriminating, including Yelena; John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who was briefly Captain America in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021); Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko); Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen); and a forgotten super soldier experiment Bob (Lewis Pullman), along with plans and machinery. After trying to kill each other, four of the five work together to escape before being incinerated. And then fight their way out once Valentina, who seems to have Presidential authority, calls in black ops to kill them.

Joined by Yelena’s father, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), they are captured by Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Stan Sebastian), now a U.S. House Representative, who wants them to testify against Valetina in her impeachment hearing. However, they have bigger fish to fry as Bob has been turned into Sentry, a soldier with superhuman powers, who literally has a dark side known as Void, who, like Thanos, makes people disappear, though it’s more one-by-one than half the universe at a time.

The Thunderbolts from left to right: Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bob (Lewis Pullman), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena (Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Stan Sebastian)

When all is said and done, the five heroes are called the Thunderbolts by Alexei, after Yelena’s winless juvenile soccer team but are introduced to the world, by a manipulative Valentina, as The New Avengers.

The relationship between Yelena and Bob/Sentry/Void is more than reminiscent to Black Widow’s and the Hulk’s had been in previous Phases, as she is the calming voice that keeps him in check.

The action scenes are well-done and the fight scenes have obviously been influenced by the John Wick films, as the fighting styles seem very similar.

The writing is a better balance of exposition and humor than some previous MCU movies, with neither taking up more screentime than needed. This is also more fun than several of the post-Phase Three films have been.

As I started out, Pugh pretty much carries the film. However, the rest of the cast is good as well. I’m not sure in what universe a former brainwashed Russian assassin would get elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but Sebastian is good reprising his role as Bucky Barnes. David Harbour also reprises his role of the hammy Red Guardian to great effect. And while Lewis Pullman does well as the stoner turned Sentry, turned Void, turned Bob again, there is less for Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost to do.

When Louis-Dreyfus was first introduced to the MCU, I will have to admit I was disappointed. And while I’m still not thrilled with her involvement, it does make her hateful character easier to hate.

I don’t want to not mention Geraldine Viswanathan, who plays Valentina’s assistant, Mel. Best known for her work in the Miracle Workers series on TBS, it was good to see her in the film. Her character starts to have doubts about Valentina’s mission and wants to help with the impeachment, but her character seems to disappear from the story before its conclusion.

Again, I’m no longer a strong devotee to the MCU, feeling like I’ve already put in my time, but there are still films worth watching. Despite references to previous projects, Thunderbolts* seems to stand on its own. Hopefully, the MCU will continue to make strong films, but I don’t know if even that alone will bring it back to its glory days at the box office.