Thunderbolts*: Marvel’s Misfit Mayhem Is a Gloriously Grumpy Good Time

Thunderbolts (2025), the MCU’s 36th cinematic sprint, is like watching a group therapy session for super-powered screw-ups, led by a chain-smoking Russian assassin who’d rather be napping. Directed by Jake Schreier and starring a ragtag crew of antiheroes, this film is a scrappy, snarky, and surprisingly soulful detour from Marvel’s usual CGI-spectacle snoozefests. It’s not perfect—sometimes it feels like the script was written during a caffeine-fueled all-nighter—but it’s the most fun I’ve had with a Marvel flick since Spider-Man: No Way Home made us all cry over Aunt May. Buckle up for a detailed, chuckle-heavy dive into why Thunderbolts is the chaotic cousin at the MCU family reunion you didn’t know you needed.

The Plot: A Suicide Squad Knockoff with Heart (and an Asterisk)

 A bunch of MCU B-listers—think the kids who got picked last for dodgeball—are tricked into a deadly trap by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, channeling her inner corporate shark with a Cruella de Vil streak). The team, reluctantly dubbed the Thunderbolts (with an asterisk, because even they’re not sure about the name).

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), a Russian Black Widow who’s so depressed she makes Eeyore look like a motivational speaker. She kicks off the film perched on a skyscraper, muttering about her existential crisis before yeeting herself off the ledge like it’s just another Tuesday.

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the Winter Soldier turned congressman (yes, really), who’s swapped his brooding for bureaucratic snark and a motorcycle that screams midlife crisis.

Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena’s adoptive dad, a Soviet super-soldier now slumming it as a limo driver, chugging vodka and waxing nostalgic about his glory days in a suit that’s two sizes too small.

John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the disgraced wannabe Captain America, who’s a walking temper tantrum with a shield obsession. (Still an Asshole)

Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), a phasing assassin who’s more plot device than a person, but she gets a few cool moments.

The worst thing about the Black Widow movie is that Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), the mimic with a knack for fighting, is horribly written.

Bob (Lewis Pullman), a mysterious lab rat who’s equal parts tragic puppy and walking nuke, steals scenes with his haunted doe eyes.

Valentina, facing impeachment for her shady dealings with the O.X.E. Group’s “Sentry” project, decides to tie up loose ends by pitting these misfits against each other in a death trap. Naturally, they figure out they’re being played, band together, and embark on a mission to take her down, all while bickering like a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving. The plot’s not groundbreaking—think The Suicide Squad meets The Breakfast Club—but it’s executed with enough wit and heart to keep you hooked. The asterisk in the title? Let’s just say it’s a cheeky nod to the team’s identity crisis, revealed in a post-credits scene that had the theater cheering like we’d just seen Iron Man suit up for the first time.

The Good: Pugh’s Star Power, Practical Action, and Emotional Gut-Punches

Thunderbolts shines brightest when it leans into its characters’ messy humanity. Florence Pugh is the film’s beating heart, carrying Yelena’s trauma with a mix of deadpan humor and raw vulnerability. Her opening scene, parachuting off Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 while monologuing about her “void,” is both badass and heartbreaking. Pugh’s so magnetic you’d watch her read a phone book, and she makes Yelena the MCU’s new leading lady without breaking a sweat.

The ensemble chemistry is electric, with Harbour’s Red Guardian stealing laughs as a boisterous, vodka-swilling dad who treats every fight like a chance to relive his Soviet superhero days. One scene, where he chugs a bottle, lights it on fire, and tosses it at mercenaries while driving a limo, had me cackling. Lewis Pullman’s Bob is the surprise MVP, delivering a performance so layered—part tortured soul, part ticking time bomb—that you’ll be Googling “Sentry comics” the second the credits roll. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, meanwhile, is the cool uncle who shows up late but nails every quip, though his congressman subplot feels like it was added in a script rewrite dare.

The action is refreshingly grounded, favoring practical stunts over CGI sludge. A hallway fight shot in stark black-and-white from an overhead angle is pure art, with Yelena’s shadow dancing through goons like a lethal ballerina. Another standout is a chaotic four-way brawl where the team’s mistrust erupts into flips, punches, and some gloriously petty trash-talk. The film’s focus on mental health—depression, regret, and purpose—is bold for a superhero flick, hitting harder than expected. When Yelena tells a teammate, “I can’t fix you, but I’ll be here,” it’s a hug in a movie full of haymakers.

The script, by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, balances snark and sincerity, with lines like Yelena’s “Your light is dim even by Eastern European standards” landing perfectly. The score by Son Lux adds a haunting edge, and Schreier’s direction gives the film an indie vibe, like an A24 thriller snuck into the MCU. Oh, and stick around for both post-credits scenes—the second one’s a jaw-dropper that sets up something big for the Multiverse Saga.

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts: The Art Of The Movie Slipcase Hardcover

The Salty: Rushed Ending and MCU Baggage

For all its strengths, Thunderbolts isn’t flawless. The first act drags as it sets up the team, feeling like a PowerPoint presentation on “Why These People Hate Each Other.” Valentina’s villain arc, while deliciously played by Louis-Dreyfus, wraps up too neatly, like the writers realized they had 10 minutes left and panicked. The final act’s big showdown, while emotional, leans on some tired MCU tropes—yes, there’s a CGI-heavy bit that feels like it was mandated by a studio exec.

Some characters, like Ghost and Taskmaster, get shortchanged, existing mostly to look cool and punch things. The film’s drab color palette, meant to reflect the team’s gloom, can feel oppressive, and the action choreography, while solid, lacks the wow factor of, say, Shang-Chi. Bucky’s politician angle is intriguing but underexplored, and the film’s 126-minute runtime could’ve used a tighter edit to avoid a few talky lulls. Also, if you’re not caught up on Black Widow or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you might be lost—Marvel’s homework problem strikes again.

Thunderbolts is Marvel’s best movie since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a scruffy, heartfelt caper that proves the MCU can still surprise. It’s not Avengers: Endgame—it’s smaller, weirder, and prouder of its rough edges. Pugh and Pullman are phenomenal, Harbour’s a comedic gem, and the focus on trauma and redemption gives it a depth that The Marvels or Captain America: Brave New World lacked. It’s like ordering a burger and getting a gourmet slider—less grandiose, but damn tasty. With an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score and $160.5 million at the box office so far, it’s a hit that’s rekindled my MCU spark.

Rating: 8.5/10—A lightning bolt of fun with a few clouds. Go see it, and don’t skip those credits!