The MCU has struggled to find its footing in the post Endgame world. While Marvel once rewarded viewers for their loyalty, they now punish audiences that haven’t done their homework in a continuity that now spans close to two decades. Their current path to a bog crossover has been all over the place, making it difficult to follow their expanded universe. Thunderbolts* promised to be a breath of fresh air to the ever-growing franchise. Sure, it was bringing back characters you may, and may not, be familiar with, but this was from a different angle. These wouldn’t be your shiny new heroes failing to fill the void left by the original Avengers, these would be reluctant misfits, forced to band together to save the world and learn something along the way. At least that appeared to be the plan on paper.
Thunderbolts* does follow these plot points for the first half of the movie, unfortunately, it fails to learn an important lesson from 2016’s Suicide Squad. The histories of both teams may differ in the source material, but the parallels onscreen are more evident. None more so with the villains that they are pitted against. Taking a team of under-powered individuals and placing them against a god-like foe didn’t work for DC and it is also where the latest entry to the MCU fails to stick the landing.
This is a shame, as at least two-thirds of Thunderbolts* is a lot of fun. The cast has great chemistry and brings nuance and depth to their roles, most notably Florence Pugh (Yelena) and Wyatt Russell (John Walker). Both actors express the inner turmoil that their characters struggle with. Like the rest of the team, they have dark pasts riddled with regrets that torture them. There may be less of an emotional connection with Walker if your memory of that show you watched 4 years ago during lockdown has faded. Pugh is given more time and even if this was your first introduction to Yelana, her performance draws you with director Jake Schreier ensuring she is the emotional heartbeat of the movie.
Unlike Cara Delevingne’s, ahem, questionable performance as Suicide Squad’s big bad, Lewis Pullman gives us a memorable foe for the right reasons as Bob aka the Sentry. He is likeable, and menacing, battling his demons while taking it out on the world. The main issue with the character is he feels like he is in the wrong film as he offers a formidable threat at odds with the tone set a the beginning of the movie. The opening set pieces show the team at their best as they fight difficult odds albeit against foes they are capable of beating in a fight. Sure, they need to be smart when they’re outnumbered but this allows for exciting action sequences that ground the movie to the level of our protagonists. This goes out the window in the third act when it turns out all they needed was the power of friendship to save the day. This hurts the movie badly as the team faces an all-powerful foe, an unsuspecting gloom clouds the screen as Marvel teases a step towards the dark side. It turns out to be more of a fakeout as the studio opts to keep things friendly for all ages resulting in a forced and rushed climax.
The cast does great with the material given and for a while, it feels like a new dawn in the MCU. Instead, it falls flat when it matters most with a credit sequence that unintentionally pokes fun at the execution of the movie’s ending as it questions if fans want this. The MCU has struggled in recent years, with Marvel opting for content over media and with Thunderbolts* there’s a bit of both. There are hints of something new but they blend into the homogeneous stew of the MCU. With over 60 movies and TV shows combined, Marvel is struggling to launch the next generation of heroes that will carry the franchise forward. It never seemed like Thunderbolts* was meant to carry that weight however by the end credits scene (slightly spoiled by the credits themselves), their promotion overshadows the strengths and gives us a light-hearted nudge and a wink Avengers Assemble. A decent comic book film elevated by a strong cast, it fails to fill the hole Marvel has tried to fill since 2019. It may kill some time between now and Fantastic Four but will do little to keep you invested for Doomsday.
Writer, filmmaker, friendly neighbourhood storyteller. Believes Jaws to be the greatest film ever made and will go down swinging with that belief.
