“Thunderbolts*” Review: Marvel’s Antihero Team Brings the MCU Back to Form in 2025
The last few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been a bit of a mixed bag. Phase 4 had its moments, but something felt off about the studio’s direction. When “Thunderbolts*” was announced with its lineup of B-tier characters and antiheroes, skepticism seemed justified. Yet after its May 2, 2025 opening weekend, it’s clear this ragtag team of misfits might be exactly what Marvel needed.
The Setup: Marvel’s New Antihero Team Dynamics
The film drops us immediately into chaos—our protagonists find themselves trapped in what feels like an elaborate death trap, forced to work together despite their obvious distrust of one another. It’s a smart narrative choice that skips the tedious “getting the band together” sequence we’ve seen countless times before.
At its core, “Thunderbolts*” follows a group of deeply flawed individuals assembled by the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). For viewers keeping up with post-credit scenes and Disney+ shows, her recruitment of these dangerous individuals finally clicks into place.
The mission starts simple enough—standard covert operation stuff—until they discover they’ve been set up by Valentina herself. Their new objective becomes protecting an unassuming guy named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who turns out to be harboring the super-powered Sentry persona. As the plot unfolds, Valentina’s scheme to frame the Thunderbolts as public enemies emerges. While this setup feels somewhat derivative of other superhero films, the execution works considerably better than expected.
The Cast: Marvel’s Best Ensemble of Antiheroes
What makes this film work isn’t its somewhat predictable plot, but rather the dysfunctional family dynamic between these deeply scarred individuals:
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova continues to be one of the MCU’s most compelling characters. Her performance balances trauma, humor, and badassery in a way that feels genuine rather than forced. There’s a scene where she silently processes a reminder of her forced childhood training that conveys more emotion than pages of dialogue could. Pugh absolutely owns this role, delivering what critics call a “terrific performance.”
Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, bringing his world-weary experience to the team. Stan has been playing this character for so long that he slips into it effortlessly, though Bucky finally gets some moments of dry humor that weren’t just him playing straight man to someone else’s jokes.
David Harbour as Red Guardian provides much of the comic relief, but there’s something touching about his character—a Russian immigrant working as a limo driver who clings to his former superhero identity. Harbour steals nearly every scene he’s in with his boisterous delivery and surprisingly tender moments, particularly in his interactions with Yelena.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus finally gets substantial screen time as Valentina, and it’s long overdue. She brings a calculating menace to her role that’s different from previous MCU villains—less cosmic threat, more manipulative spymaster. There’s something uniquely unsettling about her casual cruelty.
Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent serves as the volatile wild card, continuing his arc from “Falcon and Winter Soldier.” His desperate need for validation makes him dangerous and unpredictable, adding tension whenever he’s on screen.
Hannah John-Kamen and Olga Kurylenko return as Ghost and Taskmaster respectively, though they feel somewhat underutilized despite their intriguing abilities. Ghost’s phasing powers lead to some creative action sequences, while Taskmaster’s mimicry skills make for visually interesting fight choreography, but neither character gets quite enough development.
Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry delivers the most surprising performance. What initially seems like a thankless role as the team’s protection target evolves into something far more complex as his Sentry persona emerges. The duality between meek Bob and the godlike Sentry creates some of the film’s most compelling moments.
Direction and Visual Style: Marvel’s A24-Inspired Approach
Jake Schreier’s direction brings a distinctly different visual language to the MCU. The marketing wasn’t lying when it suggested this would feel more like an award-worthy A24 film rather than standard MCU fare. There’s an attention to composition and lighting that elevates even simple dialogue scenes.
The action sequences deserve special mention because they avoid the trap many superhero films fall into—chaotic editing and indecipherable visuals. Instead, Schreier delivers clean, comprehensible action that showcases each character’s unique fighting style. One standout sequence follows the team infiltrating an underground facility, with the camera moving fluidly between characters as they handle different threats, emphasizing their reluctant coordination.
The cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo complements this approach, using a slightly desaturated palette that fits the morally gray nature of these characters without falling into the “everything must be dark and gritty” cliche that plagues so many antihero stories.
Perhaps most surprising is the film’s climactic sequence, which takes a surreal turn reminiscent of “Being John Malkovich” (no spoilers, but it’s unlike anything in a Marvel film before). This brave stylistic choice might divide audiences, but it’s refreshing to see the MCU willing to get experimental.
Themes That Make “Thunderbolts*” More Than Just Another Superhero Movie
What separates “Thunderbolts*” from lesser superhero fare is its commitment to exploring its themes rather than just paying lip service to them. Each character’s trauma isn’t just backstory—it actively drives their decisions and creates genuine conflicts.
The film wrestles with questions about redemption in a way that feels earned. Can people who’ve done terrible things be forgiven? Should they be? The script doesn’t offer easy answers, instead showing how each character approaches their own guilt differently.
There’s also a running thread about loneliness as a destructive force, with the suggestion that human connection might be these damaged individuals’ salvation. This culminates in that aforementioned surreal climax, which visualizes this theme in a way that’s both strange and emotionally resonant.
The film particularly excels in its handling of exploitation. Valentina’s manipulation of the team mirrors how many of them were used as weapons in their past. When Yelena confronts her about this parallel late in the film, it lands with emotional weight because we’ve seen how these patterns of abuse have shaped her life.
Technical Elements: Marvel’s 126-Minute Runtime Hits the Sweet Spot
The 126-minute runtime feels about right—enough time to develop the ensemble cast without dragging. The pacing occasionally stumbles in the second act when some exposition-heavy scenes slow things down, but it quickly recovers.
The musical score from experimental group Son Lux is surprisingly effective. Rather than the typical bombastic superhero themes, they’ve created something more textured and unsettling that perfectly complements the film’s tone. A recurring motif using distorted vocal samples creates genuine unease during the more psychological sequences.
The visual effects are generally strong, particularly Ghost’s phasing effects and the visualization of Sentry’s powers. There are a couple of moments where the CGI doesn’t quite hold up—a sequence involving multiple explosions looks a bit too video-game-like—but these are minor issues in an otherwise visually impressive film.
Where “Thunderbolts*” Fits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
As the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Thunderbolts*” had the challenge of carving out its own identity while still connecting to the larger tapestry. It manages this balancing act better than most recent entries.
The film acknowledges previous events without getting bogged down in continuity, making it accessible even if you haven’t kept up with every Disney+ show. That said, viewers familiar with “Black Widow,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and “Hawkeye” will get more from certain character moments.
The mysterious asterisk in the title does get explained in the film, and without spoiling anything, it sets up some interesting possibilities for future stories. There’s also confirmation that several cast members will return in “Avengers: Doomsday,” suggesting this team will play a significant role going forward.
Box Office Success and Critical Reception
Two weeks in, “Thunderbolts*” has grossed around $272 million globally—not “Avengers” numbers, but respectable for a film featuring less established characters. More impressively, it’s earned an 88-89% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% audience score, making it the best-received MCU film in four years.
This critical and commercial success suggests Marvel might be finding its footing again after some uneven entries. If this represents the studio’s new direction, focusing on character-driven stories with distinct visual styles rather than just setting up the next crossover event, the franchise’s future looks promising.
The Final Verdict: “Thunderbolts*” Brings Marvel Back to Form
“Thunderbolts*” isn’t perfect—the villain’s plot follows some predictable beats, a couple of characters could use more development, and not all of its ambitious swings connect. But its strengths far outweigh these issues.
In many ways, it recalls what made the best Phase 3 films work: character dynamics that feel genuine, action that serves the story rather than the other way around, and themes that resonate beyond the typical “save the world” stakes. Had this been released during Marvel’s golden era, it would have ranked among their better offerings—not at the “Winter Soldier” or “Infinity War” level, but comfortably alongside “Doctor Strange” or “Ant-Man.”
The film succeeds because it focuses on what these characters want and fear rather than just what they can do. By centering the story on antiheroes with messy pasts and uncertain futures, it creates something more emotionally complex than the typical good-versus-evil narrative.
For viewers with superhero fatigue setting in lately, “Thunderbolts*” might just be the antidote—a reminder that when Marvel focuses on character-driven storytelling with a clear directorial vision, they can still deliver something special.
In a landscape increasingly cluttered with interconnected universes and franchise obligations, there’s something refreshing about a film that, despite being part of the biggest cinematic universe of all, manages to feel like its own thing. The Thunderbolts may be a team of misfits, but their film stands tall among recent superhero offerings.
Score: 8.5/10
Thunderbolts is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Check out the official trailer and box office performance for more information.
