A Marvel movie filled with supporting characters from other films, that is consistently exciting and funny. A Marvel movie with an extremely well-crafted screenplay imbued with a surprising emotional punch and featuring a lead performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. A Marvel movie that feels fresh. Impossible, you say? Fueled by a great cast and focused direction, Thunderbolts* blasts into the 2025 cinematic arena becoming the finest Marvel entry since the studio’s crowning achievement, 2018’s Black Panther.

Since 2009 saw the dawning of the age of Iron Man, Marvel movies have taken over as mammoth, over-bloated, beasts at the box office. As the studio began building its own financially successful “Avengers Initiative”, each Avenger was awarded their own stand alone film or tv series, and then another and another and another, until most of them became repetitive carbon copies of the films that came before. With Marvel, there is a dictum regarding how their films are to be designed that can hamper good filmmakers who sign on to helm one of the studio’s entries. Great filmmakers such as Chloe Zao and Kenneth Brannagh were robbed of what made them so unique when contractually adhering to the strict rules of Marvel filmmaking. The point being that, over the last decade or more, all MCU films (as entertaining as most are) felt the same. Until now.

Thunderbolts* is a movie that dares to be different. Written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo and directed by Jake Schreier, this is Hollywood filmmaking done right. While giving MCU fans the big budget action extravaganza they have come to expect, Schreier is focused and doesn’t allow the big CGI action scenes to overwhelm the story or its characters. Pearson and Calo have crafted an intimate and sincere screenplay that speaks to crippling personal pain and the path to forgiveness and acceptance. Oh yeah, it just happens to be a big budget Comic Book action movie.

A nomination-worthy Florence Pugh is Yelena Belova. As the film begins, the new Black Widow is on a mission to save the world. For her this is yet another job. Yelena has moved beyond seeking vengeance for her fallen sister (Scarlett Johanson’s Natasha Romanoff) and now her existence has come to a repetitive standstill. Same old villains. Same old world-saving quests of violence. For Yelana, it all feels empty. Perhaps this is Pearson and Calo making a not-so-sly comment on the state of the MCU.

Pugh’s dedication to her character is the film’s emotional anchor. Jaded, vulnerable, and crippled by guilt, Yelana longs to move past her pain and find a sense of purpose. She has no more inner fire and feels unable to connect with humanity. The actress is quite remarkable in her ability to ground her character in such a reality while kicking ass and throwing out quips in a comic movie. There are moments that are surprisingly moving and Pugh’s work allows audiences to connect to her plight while earning their sympathies. It is a moving and marvelous performance.

Yelena wants out and tells this to her boss, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who promises her a normal life if she will do one last job; an underground facility to assassinate Ghost (Hannah-John Kamen). Yelena accepts, but upon arrival, she finds that failed Captain America replacement, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), was sent to kill her. Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), was sent to kill Walker. It becomes clear to them that Contessa de Fontaine is removing any evidence of her shady practices to stop the ongoing impeachment trial led by a congressman (Wendell Pierce) dedicated to bringing her down. 

While escaping the facility, they meet the mysterious “Bob” (Lewis Pullman), a seemingly lost soul who can’t remember why he is there. The makeshift team’s different reactions to Bob will be a source of many good chuckles, but the character has a more interesting and shockingly poignant arc that adds to the film’s unique qualities. Pullman’s understated performance is one of a sad innocence that may hold something more ominous. 

As John Walker, Wyatt Russell expands on the great work he did in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Walker is another tortured soul who hides behind a bravado that impresses no one and an ego that hides his pain. Walker, Yelena, Ghost, and Bob all find a common ground in the fact they are emotionally scarred people who have been betrayed for the last time, yet working together to escape the facility doesn’t make them a team.

Enter the thunderously exciting David Harbour as Yelena’s father, Alexi Shostakov a.k.a. Red Guardian, who saves them in his souped-up limousine and prods each one to band together. Of course they resist, but Alexi refuses to give up, throwing out the Thunderbolts moniker, which was the name of Yelena’s kid’s soccer team. Once Bucky Barnes  (Sebastian Stan) a.k.a. The Winter Soldier enters the fray, the circle will be complete for fans of the MCU. Where the reluctant “team” goes from there is a blast of creativity, clever excitement, and real sentiment.

Scherier’s indie filmmaking sensibilities (he directed the wonderful Robot & Frank in 2012) serve him well. This time, it is not FX first and story later. The action moments are well done but never go too over-the-top, while the focus on character and performance enhance the emotional pull. There is great care and pride to the film’s creation.

Unlike a high percentage of MCU output, director Jake Schreier and writers Pierson and Calo don’t use the nostalgia of previous Marvel films as a crutch. They succeed in creating an involving story about real people with real emotions that can stand on its own. There is a gravitas to what the filmmakers have done here, as they explore misunderstood personalities and the effects of ignoring mental health issues and the deadly effects of doing so. This is mainstream Marvel? Can they all be like this? Please?

Thunderbolts* is eons ahead of most of MCU’s output since the beginning; a time when a Marvel release was still something of an event. Bringing this band of misfits together for their own adventure smelled of a desperate cash grab. With this exciting, funny, profound, and moving film, nothing could be further from the truth.

Thunderbolts*

Written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo

Directed by Jake Schreier

Starring Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Hannah-John Kamen, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce, Olga Kurylenko

PG-13, 126 Minutes, Marvel Studios