Movie Review: Thunderbolts*

In the sixteen years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) launched with Iron Man in 2008, there have been a multitude of films released throughout the years. Recently, the films have felt a little stale, or at least not as fun as they used to be as the overall arc of the current saga tries to find its foothold. With Thunderbolts*, the MCU has been put back on track and made the films not only entertaining, but must-see events again.

The story of the faux family of spies that was introduced to the MCU in Black Widow (2021), is revisited in Thunderbolts* as two members of that “family” – Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) – reluctantly team up with fellow discarded anti-heroes John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Star/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) to undermine the machinations put in play by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to cover her own questionable actions.

Faced with the prospect of working as a unit in order to get to the bottom of the whitewashing of their existence, this motley crew of dysfunctional heroes must confront the sins of their collective pasts and unite as a team able to face a new foe that may just threaten the safety of the entire world.

(From left) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, and Florence Pugh in “Thunderbolts*.” Photo by Marvel Studios – © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.

Director Jake Schreier (2012’s Robot & Frank) does a wonderous job weaving the action and subterfuge needed for this story to work along with the development of the multiple characters that are also required to fill out the somewhat epic scope of the film. Screenwriters Eric Pearson (who previously contributed to the MCU with screenplays for Black Widow and Thor: Ragnarok [2017]) and Joanna Calo infuse the story with wit and humor that harkens back to the early days of the MCU and the players all seem to be keen to follow that tract.

First and foremost, this is Florence Pugh’s film. She does most of the plot’s heavy lifting and is at the center of all of the interactions between various characters. Consequently, she shines in the spotlight and breathes new life into the MCU. Other actors reprising earlier roles – such as Harbour, Russell, and Stan – are up to the task of working as an ensemble and everyone is afforded an equal amount of time to shine. Even John-Kamen’s Ghost and Kurylenko’s Taskmaster are played up as equal heroes to the rest of the group.

The film retains the kinetic energy and brisk timing of other MCU stalwarts courtesy of Angela M. Catanzatro’s editing work, and the cinematography provided by Andre Droz Palermo gives the somewhat muted colors of Rory Bruen’s art direction the life that it deserves.

Given that the current phase of the MCU was previously highlighted by the somewhat shoe-horned entry Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), it is a promising step that Thunderbolts* so successfully builds on that momentum to suggest that perhaps there could be even more excitement on the horizon in Phase Six.

WHERE TO WATCH (powered by JustWatch)

• Bio
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Latest Posts

Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

Latest posts by Mike Tyrkus (see all)

• Box-Office Weekend: Sinners Still on Top - April 27, 2025
• Box-Office Weekend: Sinners Stunts Minecraft - April 20, 2025
• Box-Office Weekend: Minecraft Remains on Top - April 13, 2025