‘Thunderbolts*’ Review – Jake Schreier, Florence Pugh, And Team Triumph Over The MCU’s Worst Impulses

For the last five years, one character has come to represent the MCU’s issues in the aftermath of the cultural behemoth Avengers: Endgame: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The government official has popped up on the periphery of several MCU projects – Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – to hint at some plan to replace the virtually defunct Avengers through likely nefarious means. Her appearances, while relatively harmless, also hinted at a larger problem: the aimlessness of this grand universe and a constant need to justify its existence after the final Infinity Saga chapter. Even in the films where she didn’t appear, the problems persisted. Films like Eternals, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, and, most recently, Captain America: Brave New World struggled under the overbearing weight of their larger commitments, with plot, character, and authorial intent suffering as a result.

Isn’t it ironic that de Fontaine’s first substantial presence is Thunderbolts*, which manages to evade the demons that plagued its forebears to arrive at a place that inspires hope for the universe’s creative (and commercial) future?

The only greater irony is how hopeless the future seems at the film’s onset, as Yelena Bolova (Florence Pugh) stands atop the world’s tallest building. In a flat, morose voiceover with a cloudy, maudlin backdrop, Yelena details the fragility of her psychological state, which she likens to a “void.” She steps off the roof and plunges towards the ground, a surprisingly grim opening for the MCU, even if you know she’ll be alright within a minute. She survives her drop and proceeds to do Valentina’s dirty work by cleaning up a secret experimental base, but she still finds herself adrift, empty. Like the MCU, she is going through the motions to justify her existence.

Her (and the MCU’s) purpose comes as one “final” mission for Valentina. She’s sent to another remote base to eliminate Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), a threat to Valentina’s covert operation to build an Avengers-level hero of her own. The mission, naturally, is a set-up. Valentina’s other operatives, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and an innocent bystander named Bob (Lewis Pullman), arrive so she can eliminate them all before they are used as evidence in a Congressional investigation into her dirty dealings. She expects them to bicker themselves into oblivion, but they pull themselves together and escape her clutches, determined to bring down Valentina, aided by Congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour).  

The first half of Thunderbolts* feels like business as usual for the post-Endgame MCU. Director Jake Schreier spends a hefty amount of time outlining where the key players stand amongst and against each other. It leads to some very flat, expository dialogue, where the characters map out histories rather than truly engage each other. It also leads to flat characterizations, specifically for Valentina and, most surprisingly, Bucky. After three appearances, Valentina still feels amongst the weakest of villains, so remarkably one-dimensional that Louis-Dreyfus has to borrow from Veep to flesh her out. Bucky, meanwhile, primarily operates in the periphery, even though his status as one of the few remaining Phase 1 characters and a budding political figure offers meaty, and ultimately missed, opportunities. 

There are, however, glimmers of greatness in this first stretch. There is great chemistry between Yelena, John, Ava, and Bob, and Schreier grants space for real connections to develop. Yelena and Bob find camaraderie and empathy in their mutual ennui, with Yelena finding seeds of purpose within Bob’s insidious self-loathing. The MCU has dabbled in the psychological implications of heroic self-sacrifice before (specifically via Steve Rogers), but not to the extent where they truly acknowledge the darker colors that may shade the impulse. It’s a bold narrative move that hints at the film’s gravity, further reinforced by its practical filmmaking. After years of increasingly dodgy blue screen effects (a consequence of a brutally overworked community of artisans), Thunderbolts* feels fresh in the tangibility of its action, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The punches and gunshots feel real, adding real stakes to the mission.

If Thunderbolts* had followed the first half’s path, it would be another decent but unremarkable entry in the MCU. The second half, however, blows the roof off the whole franchise, with a collection of audacious swings that rewrite what audiences will think of the MCU’s storytelling capabilities. It is shaped around Bob, who is far more complex and terrifying than anyone, including himself, could’ve ever imagined. When Valentina unleashes him, it’s with the power of a sonic boom, where he makes mincemeat of the group. The tactile nature of the fight provides a thrilling physical framework for the film’s ultimate question: What good are a bunch of marginally gifted miscreants against an Avengers-plus-level threat? That question isn’t just a practical one, but a psychological one, as the Thunderbolts are each confronted with their haplessness and how it reinforces their fragile mental states.

Rather than shy away from the narratively and emotionally rich dilemma, Schreier dives right in. He uses Bob’s terrifying powers to bring to life some of the darkest material ever seen in an MCU film. It’s a potent blend of comic-book thrills and character-driven psychology that pays off the first half’s glimmers of brilliance. He pairs that with one of the great lost recipes of the superhero film: saving people. Amidst the world-ending threats that have shaped the genre, seeing Bucky flip an out-of-control car with his vibranium arm to protect an elderly couple, or Red Guardian shielding a little girl from falling debris, is a heart-warming, fist-pumping delight. (Even better is seeing civilians celebrate the team’s heroic efforts on the ground.) The final act acknowledges the daunting emotional demands of heroism and demonstrates its incalculable value, on the individual and the collective.

While the cast is uniformly strong, Thunderbolts* is a stunning showcase for Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman. Pugh does a remarkable job unpacking the depths of Yelena’s depression and tracking the development of one of the MCU’s most satisfying character arcs. She commands attention in every frame, not once missing a beat amidst the chaotic action or bickering amongst the team. MCU actors rarely get to truly delve into their characters’ complexities, and Pugh takes full advantage of the weighty material. She delivers a star-reinforcing performance that should guarantee her placement at the top of the franchise. Pullman deserves to join her as well. He imbues Bob with deeply affecting pathos that pops out at the most unsettling moments, grounding the character and the film’s darkness. His voice work as Sentry is somehow even better, adding a level of inevitability and superiority to his exploits that is disturbing and enticing.

For the first time, the presence of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine does not foretell another disappointment in the MCU canon. While it shares similar struggles as its post-Endgame counterparts, Schreier’s efforts to push the envelope allow Thunderbolts* to blow past them and forge a far more compelling path than the franchise has been in a long while. The film is the best possible outcome of the MCU’s worst impulses. It suggests that, hopefully, finally, we might be able to leave them behind as we approach the mega-event that is Avengers: Doomsday.

Thunderbolts is currently playing exclusively in theaters courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.