After numerous attempts by Marvel to prolong the life of its extensive franchise, the studio seemingly recognized a need for change. This led to the creation of “Thunderbolts*”, a story focusing on deeply flawed and profoundly human anti-heroes who unexpectedly become the central point of audience interest. Let`s delve into why this pivot towards non-superheroes succeeded and what audiences might currently seek from characters in costumed attire.
While characters like Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America battled evil in the spotlight, there were others dwelling in the shadows—failed heroes, unsuccessful villains, now functioning as ordinary mercenaries. They`ve found some utility for their advanced gear, weapon sets, and special skills acquired through labs or strenuous training.
This describes the life of the main character, Black Widow Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh). Her father drinks, she struggles with self-worth, money is tight, her personal life is messy, and recognition is nonexistent. Her job isn`t glamorous: Yelena receives an assignment and silently works alone to clean up situations deemed undesirable by those in charge. For instance, while fulfilling a task for CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Yelena destroys an experimental lab in Malaysia. Immediately afterwards, she`s hit by a wave of depression and the realization that her life feels fundamentally wrong. However, before she can break free from this cycle, she must complete one final mission for de Fontaine: infiltrate a secret bunker and eliminate the thief Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), known as Ghost.
Inside the bunker, in addition to Belova and Ava, they also encounter John Walker (Wyatt Russell), also known as U.S. Agent (or, as he`s often called, “Captain America for the poor”), and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) – Taskmaster. They discover that each of them was tasked with eliminating another, implying de Fontaine simply wants to remove them as inconvenient witnesses to her own criminal activities. During a brief skirmish, Taskmaster is quickly killed by Ava`s bullet. However, a new variable emerges: a man named Bob (Lewis Pullman) appears seemingly out of nowhere. He remembers little but wanders the vault nervously in medical pajamas. This makeshift “world-saving team” unites to escape their boss`s trap. In doing so, they become witnesses to de Fontaine`s secret project, with Bob revealed as its central figure—the sole survivor of “Project Sentry,” which aimed to create invincible and all-powerful superhumans.
The main, surprisingly compelling, and simple idea of the film is that its heroes are socially vulnerable individuals, casualties of those higher up the chain. This resonates deeply with a large percentage of viewers who, like these characters, navigate pandemics, crises, and global conflicts by gritting their teeth and adapting to a world without clear direction or plans. A certain anxiety about the future is present in every member of the “Thunderbolts” group—yesterday you had a job and some stability, today they`re trying to burn you alive in a waste disposal room. This ironic sentiment effectively taps into the audience`s pain, presented not as utter despair, but simply as a distant, aching feeling of connection with the characters on screen.
Another pleasant detail and reason the film works is the simplified way the creators introduce the audience to psychotherapy concepts. It`s straightforward and without excessive depth, but clear. The characters are traumatized, with specific dramatic backstories understandable to any ordinary person. Not like someone injected with a super-serum or someone captured by enemies, but just typical struggles: addictions, dysfunctional families, betrayal. Intense emotional experiences have left their mark on each Thunderbolt, preventing them from living life with a clear conscience. In a broader sense, their antagonist isn`t a guy in a superhero suit, but their personal pain, the internal darkness that pulls them in, forcing them to repeatedly dive into a cycle of violence, adrenaline rushes, and anything else that gives their existence some semblance of meaning.
Speaking of the antagonist—he is also incredibly effective. Perhaps even more so on an unconscious level than within the established MCU context. Robert Reynolds, also known as Bob or Sentry, appears in “Thunderbolts” as a man with a complex, destructive past that the powerful chose not to investigate thoroughly, instead simply using him as a test subject in experiments. It`s commendable that the film`s writers didn`t fully immerse themselves in the character`s entire backstory but schematically outlined the core problem between him and his handler, de Fontaine. This created a conflict that feels genuine, a situation easily relatable to anyone who has ever faced an aggressive hierarchy. Classic phrases like “you`re being used,” or “nobody cares about your problems, all that matters is the result,” easily attach themselves to the antagonist`s plight.
Painfully and simultaneously incredibly well, this conflict correlates with Robert`s evil manifestation—The Dark. This entity is literally an impenetrable dark silhouette, a being capable of turning a person and their entire life into a silent imprint on the pavement with a single effortless movement. When Sentry displays his true abilities, one is involuntarily reminded of photographs after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where people were instantly reduced to vague dark figures on surrounding surfaces. This simple, clear portrayal wordlessly conveys the full horror of his powers and his deep personal pain.
Furthermore, this isn`t just a random superpower that would fit into a “What If…?” scenario; it`s a wonderfully story-driven engine for the main character and her personal drama. A truly beautiful scene where Yelena becomes the only one who doesn`t flee the darkness but approaches it willingly explains her entire character without a single word. She is tired of living and suffering, her past won`t release her, so the only thing she desires isn`t to save this cursed city or help people, but simply to cease existing, to dissolve into that darkness. Fortunately, the kind creators at Marvel Studios give her a second chance; she doesn`t vanish but finds herself trapped in unbearable memories from the past—a boundless purgatory where death doesn`t exist. Escaping it becomes possible only after the Thunderbolts find a way to help poor Robert, who has locked away the remnants of his consciousness far from the horrific memories, somewhere in a cozy old attic.
This pleasant philosophical and psychological nuance was achievable thanks to the excellent cast. Florence Pugh (“Little Women,” “Oppenheimer”) truly showcases herself as a dramatic actress: her physicality and intuition make every movement utterly believable. David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) is a great awkward, unsuccessful father, slightly caricatured but always with such deep sadness in his eyes that no gold teeth can distract you from his life tragedy. The same can be said for Wyatt Russell (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), who always looks as if he`s about to burst into tears. Together, they aren`t pathetic, as the dialogue and weak jokes constantly try to force, but quite the opposite—simply understandable, human, and maximally close to the viewer. Yes, while in the cinema, you`ll likely hear mass giggling after the story about how a girl on young Yelena`s football team had an accident on the field, but honestly—who hasn`t experienced something awkward?
It is regrettable, however, that the film cannot fully escape its context within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are post-credits scenes with stale, old-fashioned humor reminiscent of “Avengers in a Shawarma Joint,” where the characters, whom the audience just spent ninety minutes observing as deeply dramatic and unhappy, revel in their newfound status. Or the completely inexplicable scene at the end where the Thunderbolts are presented to the public as the new Avengers, and they almost gladly accept the label thrust upon them. It`s understandable that the franchise needs to move forward, that something familiar to fans of previous installments is desired, but this significantly detracts from “Thunderbolts.” The film had the potential to be a successful standalone picture, with its own philosophy and an authorial approach to its theme, problem, and characters.
In any case, “Thunderbolts” is definitely worth attention. It`s a breath of fresh air after years of lackluster content production. Hopefully, with this film, Marvel Studios will unlock some kind of creative insight, helping it break free from the cycle of hundreds of unnecessary installments, and everything released hereafter will live up to the standard set here.