After many delays, Thunderbolts* has finally hit the big screen. When a group of antiheroes find themselves as targets, they band together to embark on a dangerous mission.
Florence Pugh captured audiences from her very first appearance as Yelena. Her deadpan, dry humour made her edgy even when you knew there were many more layers underneath. She is the driving force of this film and rightfully so. The rest of the team consisting of Sebastian Stan as Bucky, David Harbour as Alexei, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava and Lewis Pullman as Bob were so completely mismatched yet perfect together. On the surface it seemed like they had nothing in common, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
After relying heavily on CGI and silly gimmicks, this is a more stripped back version of an origin story. While we had been previously introduced to these characters, we didn’t really know much about them. Here we got to learn about what makes them tick as well as the darkest corners of their minds. Though there are plenty of action sequences and some comedic moments, the film also focuses on themes of loss, grief, addiction and mental health. I don’t think I’ve seen these depicted in a superhero film before and as someone who has dealt with some of the above, I really found myself relating to what the characters were going through.
It’s no secret that Marvel has been struggling as of lately. Ever since Endgame, there have been a slew of less than mediocre instalments that I can barely even remember now. The excitement I used to feel before going into these films became like a chore. That was until now. Thunderbolts* was everything I never knew I needed and I can’t help but wonder…is Marvel back? I guess only time will tell.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Credits Rolling 