Thunderbolts* (2025) - Review
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© 2024 MARVEL
Directed by: Jake Schreier
Written by: Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Runtime: 126 min
Synopsis: An unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker - finds themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. These disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?
© 2024 MARVEL
Editor's Note: Original review was written for Movies We Texted About. Full article can be found below.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Thunderbolts* is an exceptional superhero movie precisely because it focuses on a deep exploration of human fragility. Prioritizing its broken protagonists’ internal struggles over pure audiovisual spectacle shows a rare maturity in a franchise often criticized for sacrificing substance in favor of generic scale. This bold approach allows the cast to shine – Florence Pugh especially, who firmly establishes herself as one of the MCU’s core pillars. By exploring themes like depression, grief, abandonment, and reconnection with honesty and care, Jake Schreier transforms a blockbuster into a poignant meditation on shared purpose and what it means to live with open wounds. In a landscape flooded with recycled formulas, Marvel has delivered something courageously human – making this Phase Five closing piece not only one of the year’s biggest surprises but also one of the most emotionally resonant entries in the entire cinematic universe.
