Marvel’s captured lightning in a bottle with the refreshingly fun and surprisingly moving Thunderbolts*. The studio’s been in a bit of a slump creatively, but with Thunderbolts*, Marvel seems to be on the right track once again, recapturing the spirit of The Avengers while simultaneously launching a new chapter in the MCU.

The action comedy centers on a group of undervalued and misunderstood antiheroes, perceived as inferior to their superhero colleagues. They’re throwaway secondary characters who, thanks to outstanding performances all around, emerge from the 2025 release almost as legit as Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, and Captain America. Sorry, Hawkeye, but you’re the one Avenger this group has already surpassed in coolness.

At the heart of the team is Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), still mourning the loss of her sister. Yelena doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life but does understand that being at CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s beck and call is unsustainable. The black ops jobs aren’t fulfilling, and she’s ready for, as she puts it, “a more public-facing” role.

Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who’s the subject of impeachment hearings over her use of super serums on humans, has other plans. Valentina needs to destroy all the evidence of her involvement, so she sends assassins Yelena, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) into a vault under false pretenses. A totally confused man who introduces himself as Bob (Lewis Pullman) and appears to have been partying a little too hard wanders around the vault as the assassins attempt to take each other out. Finally realizing this is all a setup to kill them off, all but one of these antisocial outcasts band together.

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now a freshman congressman, is forced to revive his Winter Soldier life to rescue the group. Also rushing to their rescue is Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), who’s been bored to tears and just aching for the day when he can put his Red Guardian training to good use. They steal the name of Yelena’s Pee Wee Soccer team (which never won a single game), call themselves the Thunderbolts, and seek revenge on the conniving, crooked politician who wanted to wipe them out.

Thunderbolts* doesn’t lack any of the expected superhero film requirements. It nails the action and humor; however, what makes this comic book-inspired movie work is the flawless cast delivering real human drama. Director Jake Schreier (Beef), along with screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, gave the film its beating heart in the form of Yelena. She’s tough but vulnerable, and the loss of her adopted sister adds a fatalistic heaviness to her actions prior to the formation of the Thunderbolts. While barbed, the banter between Yelena and Alexei, expertly delivered by Pugh and Harbour, has its obvious roots in love. Alexei comments on her light being dim and then is a proud papa when it returns while she’s engaged in the fight for their lives and the lives of New Yorkers.

Harbour’s got the best lines, and his over-the-top delivery of a Russian accent would make Boris and Natasha turn green with envy. All Red Guardian wants is a chance to be a hero, and he’s a little overzealous in accomplishing that. Harbour leans into his goofiness, for lack of a better word. Even in the middle of saving innocent bystanders from crumbling buildings, his childlike glee can’t be contained. Harbour nails it, playing him as huggable yet fearsome.

Thunderbolts* allows Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen to hit more emotional beats than hoped for or expected. Writers Pearson and Calo explore and humanize their flaws, making them more grounded. Julia Louis-Dreyfus spent enough years as Selina Meyer on Veep to be able to handle the role of a power-hungry politician in her sleep. Valentina is edgier and more ruthless than Selina ever was, and Louis-Dreyfus infuses her with enough smarmy charm to make her feel like she’d fit right in in DC.

And what about Bob? The less said about the character, the better to avoid any possible spoilers. Lewis Pullman is absolutely terrific as a character who Marvel fans will recognize. The rest of us will get to know this tormented man who develops a special connection with Yelena through Pullman’s moving performance. It’s through Bob’s character that Thunderbolts* does its best work in touching upon real-life mental health struggles. Confronting past traumas is key to the story, but it doesn’t bring down the mood.

Director Schreier’s first entry into the world of comic book films has more of an old-school superhero action vibe, and the big set pieces aren’t as jarringly CG as recent Marvel and DC films. The fight sequences are intense and consequential, rather than the usual exaggerated, superhero-style battles.

Thunderbolts* may not be the savior of superhero films, but it’s a giant step forward in reestablishing goodwill with fans. It’s fun, packs an emotional wallop, and focuses on actual character development, a refreshing change from recent soulless releases.

GRADE: A-

Rating: PG-13 for some drug references, language, some suggestive references, strong violence, and thematic elements
Running Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
Release Date: May 2, 2025