The most common question this past weekend was “Is Marvel Back?” Long-time franchise fans seem to think so, but Thunderbolts*, in my eyes, is more of a step in the right direction than “we are so back.” As a longtime fan of Marvel myself, this was the best time I have had in a Marvel movie since Endgame.
Thunderbolts* feels like the most singular film in this current “Multiverse Saga” of the MCU. Across phases four and five, many of the entries have required extensive homework, including Captain America: Brave New World, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, among many others. Even Marvel workers and writers felt this fatigue and “homework watching,” as a recent article from the Wall Street Journal stated. “It is starting to feel more like homework than entertainment.” Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, acknowledged this statement and believes it to be true.
Thunderbolts* feels like no homework is needed, except for maybe the show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Even then, though, it feels like, for the first time in a while, someone who does not keep up with these movies could walk in and not be confused. It’s an exciting change that bodes very well for The Fantastic Four: First Steps coming this summer.
The film follows Yelena (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Bob/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) as they go after Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Thunderbolts* has the greatest lineup of actors for a Marvel movie I have seen since Endgame. All these faces are high-quality actors who provide genuine performances that we aren’t always privy to in a Marvel movie. Pugh and Pullman give standout performances, with a level of emotion and vulnerability that a Marvel film hasn’t showcased since Eternals.
The first act is a well-done, tightly wound narrative that sets up our group of anti-heroes, and the action set pieces are the best of the entire film. The rest of the film loses steam fast. Arcs become rushed, and many have no real resolution except for Yelena and Bob. Unlike any superhero film I have seen before, the film explores mental health with the use of the Void, and how life doesn’t always feel fulfilling. From the very beginning, you understand this film will tackle heavier themes and ideas related to depression, loneliness, and anxiety. While I very much appreciate the attempt, these themes and ideas only scratch the surface of the complicated experiences for the characters and people who actually deal with this daily.
Other studio films that tackle these sensitive subjects also encounter this problem, never seeming to want to delve deeper than the basic messaging of accepting oneself. It comes across as insensitive. Here, it feels like the writers were walking on eggshells. If you are going to go for it, go all in on it and dive deep into these feelings.
This lack of depth is where the film loses steam, as there aren’t any real stakes in the story. By the third act, there were some choices that I was surprised by. Mainly, in how Marvel re-introduces these characters at the end of the film, and the anti-climactic finale. The complicated ending is different from any third act of a comic book film, and it will either work for you or it won’t. In my eyes, it doesn’t work. Directed by Jake Schreier of Beef (2023-) fame, he does well with what he is given, but considering how well he handled broken souls in Beef, I was surprised by how those themes were handled here.
Beyond the story, the bland action choreography holds the film back, and the putrid shot blocking that has plagued the franchise post-Endgame (2019) is once again present here. It shocks me that this problem has not been fixed. Multiple sequences throughout the film have characters in one spot, and somehow, in the next cut, they are not even close to where they were previously.
Marvel is in a very interesting grey area right now, and I hope the steps they take here will show in their upcoming entries. If not, it will take a lot more time to get back to the golden age of this franchise, but as a singular entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts* is a highlight, albeit with its faults.
If this came out during the Infinity Saga, this would be a B to C tier Marvel film, but in the Multiverse Saga, it’s an A tier film. Time will tell if the solid word of mouth can propel Marvel back into the entertainment spotlight it once had.
Review Courtesy of Jacob Diedenhofer
Feature Image Credit to Disney via Press.Disney.co