With a blistering marketing campaign and a star-studded cast, Marvel Studios’ newest blockbuster, Thunderbolts* (asterisk included), has quickly become a diamond in the rough. The movie, released nationwide on May 2, 2025, has grossed over $270 million worldwide and achieved an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, a feat compared to three of the most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, which received lower than 60%. While the film’s ratings have already set it apart from other Marvel productions, the tone and heightened emotional stakes of Thunderbolts* add to its uniqueness in the superhero genre.
Thunderbolts* serves as an addition to the long list of Marvel projects, this time combining recently introduced characters into one ragtag team. The Thunderbolts, led by Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), are an unlikely group of heroes, all facing individual struggles of belonging and self-discovery. When caught in a difficult situation, they must join forces to conquer their struggles and, of course, save the world.
Other outlets have covered the artistic elements of the film, regarding it as “Marvel’s answer to an A24 movie.” That comparison might be a reach, but this film is definitely a redirection for Marvel, creating a character-driven film with heavyweight actors and real emotion rather than following their standard formula of strong heroes fighting a bad guy and saving everyone in the process. Florence Pugh leads this initiative, bringing her background in indie films like Midsommar (2019) and Don’t Worry Darling (2022) to the multi-billion-dollar franchise. Sebastian Stan, a recurring character in the MCU for over a decade now, has had time to branch out into more dramatic work since his last MCU role, collecting an Oscar nomination in the process and bringing that expertise to this new iteration of the character. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is most known for her comedy chops from her hit characters of Elaine on Seinfeld and Selina Meyer on Veep, yet her performance as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a corrupt politician, is as dramatic and convincing as any. There are a few “nepo babies” strewn throughout the cast, most notably Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, and Lewis Pullman, son of Bill Pullman, but they carry their weight in the film and without seeing their last names, you wouldn’t question their involvement in this film.
The visuals of the movie were more refined than MCU movies of years past. There are some odd CGI shots here and there, but overall, much of the movie and its stunts were filmed practically with either stunt doubles or, in some cases, the actors themselves. One highly publicized stunt performed by Florence Pugh involved her jumping off the top of the Merdeka, the second-tallest building in the world, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She says she initially read it in one of the earlier drafts of the script and was really excited about performing the stunt herself. When she received a later version with a double performing the stunt, she begged and pleaded with Marvel and their insurance agency to allow her to complete the 2,227-foot high jump. Her practical stunts, as well as classic hand-to-hand combat, were refreshing to see in a modern superhero movie.
The most surprising part of this film was the amount of heart and emotion that translated through the screen. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, it is great to see such an honest representation of mental health struggles in a massive summer blockbuster. Each protagonist of the film is dealing with their own identity and belonging, a theme that is then sustained throughout the overarching plot of the film. Since it is such a central idea of the film, these internal battles are handled with care, likely due to the director of the film, Jake Schrier (Beef, Shameless), having experience with highly emotional scenes and themes like these. The heavy moments were handled with grace and intention, providing a safe space for the emotions to sit, out in the open, without becoming the butt of a joke.
Thunderbolts* ultimately serves as a stepping stone from one phase to the next for the MCU, with Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday coming up as big releases for Marvel Studios. The characters in the film are left over from past Avengers movies and Marvel franchises, while also feeling “left over” in their own lives. This unlikely group of heroes comes together, in classic Marvel fashion, to save the world from evil and ends up saving themselves along the way. The acting, writing, tone, and pacing of the film were fresh, with the movie maintaining an upbeat feeling while handling heavy topics, and having a jumping soundtrack perfect for the summer. Thunderbolts* is a great way to kick off the string of summer blockbusters for 2025, and is sure to be a fun time at the movies for anyone who goes to see it.
