For the past two phases, Marvel has struggled with figuring out what the audience wants from their characters. The critical reception, excluding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and maybe even Spider-Man: No Way Home, has been tough to watch as a fan. But, as a critic, it’s warranted. Superhero conventions have, unfortunately, become formulaic. So it’s important to have well-choreographed action sequences and a compelling character-driven narrative to make a strong film.
When Thunderbolts* was announced, fans felt it was an odd choice to have the antagonists from the recent Marvel universe come together to form a team. Because most of them weren’t that strong, apart from Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour). One-off characters like Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) didn’t have much to do other than be part of the team because they still had no development like the others. U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Bob (Lewis Pullman) round out the team, and they have great banter.
The film begins with Yelena on a rogue mission from Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). During her narration while beating the bad guys, she expresses feeling bored and unfulfilled. She is so good at her job that a lack of a support system has deeply affected her after the loss of her sister. She doesn’t know her next move, but knows it can’t be another faceless mission. The tone of Thunderbolts* isn’t light and cheery. It’s gloomy and dark while addressing mental health, depression and grief because of the traumatic pasts of each character.
This became a vehicle for Yelena Belova to experience the growth she needed to become the hero Natasha knew her to be. Florence Pugh is the shining beacon of charisma desperately needed among the new heroes introduced. Even though Yelena has had a horrid past in the Red Room, she has recognized her mistakes and wants to be redeemed. All the characters in the Thunderbolts* hold themselves accountable for their actions, and Bucky advises them that they can still choose to do some good with their skillset.
It was Bob’s story that connected with Yelena the most. She felt understood by someone who had not endured the same trauma as her but carried his own. To tap into that feeling of nothingness - a void - being a looming presence in their daily lives is what connected them. Co-writers Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo and Kurt Busiek stripped down the characters to their most exposed form and captured the humanity of what they’ve gone through. This is possibly one of Marvel’s most emotionally resonant films, highlighting mental health and the power of finding your community.
With the addition of Bob, aka Robert Reynolds, it became an origin story for Sentry. Val had given him a serum to alter his DNA while he was homeless and drug addicted. Val did not know the repercussions of how the serum would be enhanced with Bob’s past trauma. So while making Sentry, “Earth’s Mightiest Hero,” she also accidentally developed The Void. To see the duality of Reynolds’ psychosis and how he’s handled his past trauma was heartbreaking.
Once the Void is unleashed in New York City, the visual storytelling for the trauma maze in Reynolds’ mind is fantastic. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo and Schreier created different rooms to work within the Void’s mind so our Thunderbolts* could find a way to ease Reynolds’ mind. Lewis Pullman gives a strong performance and is the perfect fit for Sentry in the future of the MCU. Considering where they leave the characters by the end, no one will think these are throwaway characters again. Their banter and chemistry are what made the film work so well.
Thunderbolts* is a grounded superhero film that fully understands the origins of Marvel characters and why they’re so beloved in the first place. It’s their humanity, not their god-like skillset. Sentry/The Void’s origin story was developed with so much thought and care that it shone through with other characters who have experienced the same darkness as him. Compared to what we’ve gotten from other Marvel films, Thunderbolts* is the most refreshing and grounded MCU film in a long time.
4/5
Review by: Amanda Guarragi