Thunderbolts*

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Victoria's Statewide Mornings program on April 17, 2025.

(PG) ★★★★

Director: Jake Schreier.

Cast: Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce, Chris Bauer, Olga Kurylenko.

Peekaboo.

Is it really possible, after 36 films, to do something new and interesting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

How about an hilarious and action-packed deep dive into depression, loneliness, self-worth, mental health, and overcoming the darkness buried within our souls?

It's not totally new - at some point there will be punching and explosions - but the latest MCU team-up goes out of its way to do the unexpected, and not rely on the superhero subgenre's touchstones as much as its predecessors. 

The film centres on an unlikely assortment of heroes brought together for a mission that isn't what it seems. Something else that's not what it seems is Bob (Pullman), a strange man they meet along the way.

It's not a new approach - the grab-bag roster of loser-heroes is basically Marvel-does-Suicide Squad or another take on the cosmic underdog team-up that was Guardians Of The Galaxy. The only difference here is the subtext. Thematically, this is about mental health and what we all have to do to get through the day, ignoring our darkness and shame along the way. It's not your standard superhero fare.

It's also kinda refreshing that the film does its best to avoid the punching and explosions as much as it can, and still deliver a meaningful story with tension and drama. The narrative is so wonderfully entrenched in its character arcs and their excess baggage that even though the finale is wildly different to any other Marvel movie, it works.

For the hardcore Marvel-heads, this is a strong next chapter for some of the franchise's more interesting B characters. The new Black Widow Yelena Belova (Pugh) is front and centre, and in fine form. She is the film's heart and depressed soul, but is ably assisted by an equal broken one-time Captain America John Walker (Russell). Ghost (John-Kamen) is again given short shrift and is little more than her superpower, but Red Guardian (Harbour) is a very welcome addition to the bunch.

But the real stand-out is Bob (Pullman), who digs deep to give his character plenty of layers, bringing to life one of Marvel's most mercurial and mysterious yet maligned players in a fantastic way. Credit to the script from Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, who make it all work, but Pullman is perfectly cast in an unexpected role. 

Maybe most of you have already checked out of the MCU (the box office on this sadly suggests that is the case), but this is the most inventive and interesting Marvel movie in a while. It's definitely one of the most thematically intriguing films of the franchise, if not the most intriguing.