‘Thunderbolts*’ review: Marvel ‘still has compelling tales to tell’

Dir: Jake Schreier. US. 2025. 126mins

The question of what it actually means to be a hero is at the heart of many superhero stories. The latest instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe touchingly explores that theme, putting together a collection of misfits and villains who must save the day in a world without the Avengers. Thunderbolts* boasts a likeable modesty, complemented by a thoughtful examination of addiction, abuse and mental illness. If the film cannot entirely shake the suspicion that the creative peaks of this franchise are in the past, the depth of feeling in the performances suggests Marvel still has compelling tales to tell.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus crackles as a politician whose corruption and callousness knows no bounds

Opening worldwide on May 2, Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, who should raise interest in a comic-book property that is far less known than Marvel’s more iconic characters. Decent reviews and favourable word-of-mouth could contribute to solid box office.

Pugh plays Yelena, a lethal assassin who first appeared in 2021’s Black Widow. Haunted by a traumatic childhood spent training to become a killer, Yelena works for Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the scheming director of the CIA, who sends her to a remote base for her next mission. It’s a trap, though. Yelena escapes, alongside John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) on a mission to stop Valentina’s next devious plan, which has something to do with an unassuming, troubled young man named Bob (Lewis Pullman) who may have untapped powers.

As is the case with most MCU pictures, Thunderbolts* will benefit from viewers’ familiarity with previous Marvel films and television series. (For instance, Walker was a disgraced possible Captain America replacement in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.) Even so, director Jake Schreier provides enough expositional backstory that new audiences should be able to understand the core conflicts. Essentially, Thunderbolts* is an underdog/antihero narrative — not entirely dissimilar to DC’s Suicide Squad — in which a gruff, ragtag group of mismatched characters must work together to defeat a deadly foe.

The risk with such a narrative is that the filmmaker and actors will overdo the wisecracking, irreverent tone. For the most part, though, Thunderbolts* avoids that problem, presenting us with smart-alecks who slowly reveal their vulnerabilities. That’s especially true of Yelena, played by Pugh as a killer who is bored with her elite skills, relying on cynicism to combat her depression and loneliness. When Yelena meets Bob, who is wearing a hospital gown and has no knowledge of how he arrived at the remote base, she finds someone tormented by even more profound feelings of worthlessness. Pugh and Pullman share a tenderness that taps into one of the film’s main ideas, that crippling mental health issues (paired with substance abuse) can be as terrifying as the most evil supervillain — and even harder to defeat.

The film’s large cast, which also includes David Harbour as Yelena’s embarrassingly enthusiastic father Alexei, an over-the-hill superhero, balances laughs and pathos. In comparison to the largely unimpressive fighters around him, Stan’s Bucky Barnes (the former Winter Soldier) is a ferocious warrior, but he’s also a link to the Avengers, who are nowhere to be seen — a fact that inherently limits this film’s stakes. But at the same time, Thunderbolts* refreshingly resists the sort of hyperbolic third-act showdown in which, predictably, the fate of the planet (or the universe) hangs in the balance. Instead, Schreier lands on a more intimate ending that ties into the story’s emotional core, emphasising how these outcasts’ occasional bluster conceals buried pain.

The musical collective Son Lux delivers a stirring score that highlights the growing affection these maladroits feel toward one another, especially once their lives are in danger and they must prove themselves as heroes. And where too many MCU films suffer from underwhelming antagonists, Louis-Dreyfus crackles as a politician whose corruption and callousness knows no bounds.

To be sure, Thunderbolts* follows a similar narrative trajectory to many other MCU instalments, and viewers can safely assume that this picture will strain to set the stage for future Marvel adventures. (The title’s conspicuous asterisk provides a hint to a major spoiler.) No matter how much Thunderbolts* tries to distinguish itself, it remains frustratingly chained to a massive, ungainly blockbuster franchise that keeps lumbering along. But after years of watching the exploits of all-powerful superheroes, there’s pleasure in hanging out with some MCU characters who, for once, are underestimated.