I’ve been feeling Marvel-ed out for some time, so I wasn’t exactly clamoring to see Thunderbolts*. This year has been especially packed with superhero movies, something I haven’t seen in a while. I guess the pendulum has swung back, so there’s suddenly a demand for big tentpole comic book movies. We’ve got Captain America: Brave New World back in February, then Thunderbolts*, James Gunn’s Superman, and followed by The Fantastic Four: First Steps (both released in July).

Thunderbolts* is more about a ragtag team of antiheroes, though some of them do have superpowers. Somehow, they all get caught in a deadly trap that makes them turn on each other, so they have to team up to face the darkest parts of their history. It’s been all over social media that Florence Pugh did her own stunt when she jumped off Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the second-tallest building in the world. So the movie opens with Yelena Belova, aka Black Widow, jumping out of that building, followed by an intense fight scene. You’d think Yelena has an exciting, thrill-filled life, but she actually feels pretty bored and aimless, even a little down since losing her sister Natasha Romanoff. They weren’t biologically related, but they grew up together in the Black Widow’s secret adopted family.

It doesn’t take long before Yelena faces off with fellow MCU heroes, John Walker aka Captain America (Wyatt Russell) and Ava Starr aka Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) in what ends up being an incinerator bunker as they’ve been set up to off each other. The interactions in the bunker are pretty comedic, even with the rather violent fight scenes. As I’m not familiar with the comics, I was curious as to who this guy Bob is (Lewis Pullman). Yelena, John, and Ava found him barefoot and confused, but it’s easy to guess that he’s been experimented on, hence the memory loss. Reportedly, Steven Yeun had been cast in the role of Robert Reynolds, aka The Sentry, as he had worked with director Jake Schreier in Beef in 2013. It would’ve been cool to see him in the role, but Lewis acquits the assignment with aplomb.

As for Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, he’s now a U.S. congressman representing Brooklyn. It’s interesting to see Stan play a politician right after playing Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Now, the Winter Soldier’s introduction riding a motorbike during a chase scene in the desert is pretty bad ass. David Harbour relishes his comedic chops as Alexei, aka Red Guardian, the embarrassing dad who makes Yelena cringe with all his antics. Harbour goes really over the top at times, but thankfully, he’s hilarious, and he’s got such great chemistry with Pugh.

The clear MVP in Thunderbolts* is Pugh, who can balance her spunk, devil-may-care attitude with genuine vulnerability and pathos. I’d watch a standalone Yelena movie in a heartbeat! The father-daughter scene between her and Alexei tugs my heartstrings, as do the tender scenes between Yelena and Bob. Despite her tough exterior, she’s got a lot of sympathy for the broken ones like Bob, perhaps because she had endured such a tough past. Most of the characters have to come to terms with their own dark past, from daddy issues, addiction, or violent upbringing.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is having a blast playing the driven Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who aims to take control of global security and climb the ranks in the US government. She’s ruthless enough to recruit or even create powerful people with special powers to act as her lackeys. Just like Elaine in Seinfeld, Valentina has that classic Type A personality–so she’s basically Elaine on steroids! I love the casting of Geraldine Viswanathan, who I didn’t even realize is in this movie. The Aussie-born actress is always fun to watch, and she’s perfect as Valentina’s assistant Mel, who has to endure her constant bossiness and frequent wrath.

The action scenes are pretty good overall, but not overly bombastic. It’s perhaps the most personal MCU movie yet, but it doesn’t forget to have fun. So props to director Jake Schreier and writers Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo, and Kurt Busiek for balancing the pathos and the humor while still delivering fun action sequences. The fight choreography is tight, accompanied by a dynamic score by Sox Lux.

Thunderbolts* stands out from typical superhero films because it skips the usual alien battles and instead dives into mental health issues. It’s refreshing to see that these heroes aren’t just about saving the world but also about saving each other. This is the first Marvel superhero film that tackles psychological well-being and trauma head-on. The void that Bob is feeling while he’s at his most powerful (he’s practically Superman-like as he’s bulletproof and able to fly) is manifested in a pretty scary way. This unique approach is not only daring but also resonates with audiences since many of us have faced challenges like depression, trauma, and loneliness. Yelena’s compassion for Bob makes her a standout hero, shifting the focus from just physical power or superhuman skills. This movie highlights that quality as a true strength in a world that could use more empathy.

With mental health at its core, the story unfolds in a refreshingly unique way. It’s interesting that from the trailer, it looks like it’s a rather goofy action movie, but it turns out to be one of the darkest and most emotional Marvel movies. Sure, there are some lighthearted and silly scenes, but the important message of ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ shines through even during the more explosive moments. I’d say Thunderbolts* is the best movie of Phase 5 of the MCU. It’s so good that I definitely wouldn’t mind watching it again once it arrives on Disney+.

Have you seen THUNDERBOLTS*? I’d love to hear what you think!

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