ALERT: The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a pulse again.
Since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the MCU has failed at recreating the magic of its first 11 years. With an overload of movies and Disney+ shows, its overarching story has grown hard to follow and has disinterested a lot of its audience.
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Before "Thunderbolts*" was released, Marvel fans were "treated" to "Captain America: Brave New World," a formulaic superhero story that offered little nuance and left many apathetic for what was next.
And next up was "Thunderbolts*," a team composed of a bunch of reject anti-heroes who had previously been nothing but side characters across different MCU projects. Before the movie came out, none of these characters were fan favorites. But who are we to discredit the rejects and turn a blind eye to this film?
It's reminiscent of "Guardians of the Galaxy," another group of lesser-known heroes that garnered little excitement before, though we all know how that turned out. Could Marvel create another beloved team of outcasts?
It turns out they absolutely can.
While it doesn't scratch the brilliance that "Guardians of the Galaxy" is, "Thunderbolts*" nevertheless is backed with real emotion and an interesting story — which should be the bare minimum, but we'll take our small wins.
The story grapples with mental health and fantastically navigates it throughout. Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh and the film's main character, has trouble dealing with loss and past trauma. She progresses through this journey alongside the other members of the team, who are all dealing with their own personal struggles.
The mental health aspect is primarily showcased through the movie's villain, Robert Reynolds, who is portrayed by Lewis Pullman. Sentry, his alter ego, is a man who has dealt with addiction, depression and dissociative identity disorder.
While Marvel has a history of being too comedic in its stories and not allowing for deep conversation, the humor in this film is balanced perfectly with addressing mental health. Pugh and Pullman, unsurprisingly, do a fantastic job in their roles, and when they are on-screen together, you know it's time to lock in.
Marvel's overdone usage of green screens in the last decade has also stripped away a lot of the magic of the old MCU, but it seems as though the crew behind "Thunderbolts*" made it their mission to shoot on-site as much as possible.
The opening sequence shows Pugh jumping off of Merdeka 118 in Malaysia, the second tallest building in the world. There was also a chase scene that was filmed with a beautiful Utah backdrop, a massive step up in grandeur from the noticeable CGI and green screens.
With the upcoming releases of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" later this summer, "Avengers: Doomsday" in the summer of 2026 and "Avengers: Secret Wars" in the summer of 2027, MCU fans have a lot to look forward to.
This film is a breath of fresh air, a new age in a superhero franchise that's dwindled in acclaim over the last half-decade. This shouldn't be celebrated; it should be the baseline. Thank you, "Thunderbolts*," for bringing some energy back to the MCU.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this review are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Senna James, George Headley and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at jkmccar2@asu.edu and follow @jackmccarthyasu on X.
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Jack is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at his high school paper.
