Thunderbolts* Remains One of Marvel’s Most Underrated Gems -

By Luis Zonenberg

It’s no secret that Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has had a bumpy road over the past few years, turning out more misses than hits when compared to the Infinity Saga. Ever since Deadpool & Wolverine’s release, the company has pivoted to reshaping the multiverse with the arrival of Doctor Doom, who will be portrayed by none other than Robert Downey Jr. himself. The last few films have tried their best to course correct the franchise, with the biggest one obviously being Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.

The story focuses on former Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who now works for CIA director Valentina de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), as she struggles to confront the sins of her past. Yelena’s latest mission leads her to the O.X.E. vault in Utah, where Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) plans to steal some vital information. With the arrival of Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), it becomes clear that they are to be buried with O.X.E. ‘s secrets, and they must all work together if they wish to escape.

After losing Ghost to a fiery explosion, the group comes across a stranger named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who is the last survivor of the Sentry Program the company was secretly working on. Bob does all he can to help the team in their attempt to escape, especially when Valentina’s forces gather outside to retrieve him by any means necessary. When her team captures Bob, the group partners with the Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) to not just rescue Bob but ensure that Valentina will be behind bars for good.

The story serves as the first true Marvel crossover since Spider-Man: No Way Home, gathering a lot of former villains in a story that does their characters justice. The story feels more coherent and grounded than the previous Marvel entry, with a clear focus on its central characters and their respective arcs. The film may rely a little too much on the typical Marvel formula, but thankfully, the cast and overall themes work to elevate it to be a wildly entertaining entry in Marvel’s catalogue.

The film tackles themes of depression and learning to find the proper support to confront it. This theme would not have worked as well without these particular characters, with almost all of them scarred or trying to redeem themselves from their former misdeeds. The main villain, known as the Void, beautifully represents the extreme of letting depression overwhelm you and dominate your sense of purpose. This is a very mature message to convey, but it was done very well, thanks in part to director Jake Schreier.

The film also contains the trademark humor Marvel showcases in each of their projects. At times, it does feel rather unnecessary and usually deflates the tension, especially when taking into account the overall theme and subject matter. Thankfully, the film strikes a fairly good balance between the drama and humor, cleverly letting most of it come naturally from the characters and their interactions with each other. This was truly a breath of fresh air, especially since most of the humor in past Marvel projects felt more forced and bordered on feeling more of a parody of itself.

The cast does an excellent job here, with Florence Pugh continuing to be a superb lead as Yelena Belova. Despite her character’s thick accent, Pugh delivers a comedic but also very moving performance that truly makes you feel for her. She works especially well with David Harbour, whose brilliant comedic timing leads to some hilarious character moments. Lewis Pullman was by far the standout of the group, delivering a layered performance that feels simultaneously heartwarming and intimidating.

The cinematography was visually stunning to look at, delivering much more nuance and contrast than the last few Marvel films. The hand-held shaky cam approach worked rather well for the more intimate moments. When it comes to the action-packed set pieces, the picture looks much more controlled and stable, which allows the audience to really absorb the grand spectacle of the scenes.

The film also brings some of the best VFX I’ve ever seen in a Marvel movie. The film minimizes the use of CGI in favor of practical stunts and real locations that makes the action feel much more raw and authentic. The animation on the Void is especially amazing, with different shades of black and grey making him appear like a moving shadow. There were occasionally some questionable effects, but more often than not, I found myself in awe of how realistic the effects looked.

The film is easily one of Marvel’s best in years, which is a shame considering its poor performance at the box office. The movie is a great return to form for Marvel’s big-screen projects, showcasing a more nuanced and mature story that really feels genuine. The film may have its faults when it comes to the humor and some lingering plot threads, but the film’s more grounded take, as well as the sheer dedication from its cast and crew, more than make up for its flaws. Jake Schreier does a bang-up job with the Thunderbolts*, uniting a likeable group of antiheroes audiences can really root for.

Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers) is now streaming on Disney+.

Rating: ★★★★ ½ of five