Thunderbolts* ★★★★

Released: 1 May 2025 (UK)

Director: Jake Schreier

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

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to a team-up ensemble featuring various teams of superpowered beings banding together to face down an existential threat, whether to one single planet, several planets, the galaxy itself, or indeed when a mad Titan hellbent on capturing magical stones wants to wipe out half of all life as we know it. We have seen the might of the Avengers, the eccentric oddballs of the Guardians, and the all-powerful and immortal Eternals. However, since the soaring highs of Avengers: Endgame, these teams have either been splintered apart or gone their separate ways. Amid all the highs and lows this all-encompassing cinematic universe has experienced since Tony Stark snapped his fingers, and the endless chatter about superhero fatigue, enter a group of rag-tag antiheroes to give the MCU a shot in the arm to close out Phase Five.

Yelena Belova (Pugh) is perched atop the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, on a mission assigned to her by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (a brilliantly devious Louis-Dreyfus). Despite completing the mission, no fuss no muss, Yelena feels directionless in her life and still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her sister. Wanting a new sense of purpose, de Fontaine tasks her with one final mission to eliminate a loose end. However, it soon becomes clear that she has been lured into a trap along with Ava Starr/Ghost (John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Kurylenko), and the disgraced former Captain America John Walker (Russell). Together, along with Yelena’s adopted father Alexei/The Red Guardian (Harbour), this unlikely cohort must join forces to escape their predicament and survive.

A motley crew of antiheroes and mercenaries who have done “bad things”, as Yelena puts it, forced to put aside their missions and vendettas to ensure their collective survival will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Guardians of the Galaxy and especially both iterations of DC’s Suicide Squad. The similarities are unquestionably there, but to say this is Marvel’s version would be disingenuous for the simple fact that the Thunderbolts are not compelled on these missions to get time off their prison sentences or indeed behind bars at all.

In typical MCU fashion, Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson’s screenplay gives each of these characters moments to have a proper scrap against each other, firing off fierce and biting quips. What’s more, the script takes its time to invest in these characters’ tragic backstories, while going one step further than many superhero films have done by exploring the reality that by living such lives and the deeds they have done (not always by choice), will have damaging effects on their mental health that could very easily spiral out of control.

Having stolen the show in Black Widow and made a memorable turn in Hawkeye, Pugh once again shines as the leader of this team. She throws herself (quite literally) into this role by jumping off the second-tallest building in the world (a feat which earned her a Guinness World Record). Beyond this incredible and fully committed stunt, she gives a performance that shows Yelena’s vulnerabilities and allows her to connect with other members of the team who may feel a little lost in their lives. It wouldn’t be an MCU film without an injection of humour, and Harbour excels at providing comic relief while bringing emotional depth by providing paternal support to Yelena. John-Kamen and Russell are both given much more depth beyond their roles in Ant-Man and the Wasp and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and while he knows his role as Bucky Barnes better than the back of his metal hand, Sebastian Stan channels his inner T-800 by rocking some shades, riding a motorbike and firing a shotgun with one hand. As for Lewis Pullman’s mysterious Bob, you may or may not know his true nature, but for the benefit of those who do not, his arc shall not be divulged here.

Marvel films have in the past been accused of being too reliant on CGI, which perhaps cannot be helped when you have Gods and super soldiers squaring off hordes of aliens. Yet, director Jake Schreier keeps the action grounded and gritty as much as possible with a clear preference for practical stunts, as demonstrated by having your lead actress jump off a skyscraper. The MCU may have stumbled a bit in recent years, but Thunderbolts* is the perfect remedy for anyone who has been feeling superhero fatigue. Plus, fear not, you will find out what that asterisk signifies. Thunderbolts are go!