The problem with recent Marvel movies is how they seem so exceedingly inaccessible. Watching one often feels like being handed the middle chapters of a book you haven’t started, then being asked to write an essay on it.
Multiverses, variants, time jumps, and a seemingly endless string of required spin-off series have turned what was once a fun popcorn franchise into homework.
But Thunderbolts*?
It’s the first Marvel film in a while that invites you in without a pop quiz on MCU continuity.
This is Marvel stripped back to its essentials—a ragtag group of misfits, a straightforward mission, and just enough chaos to keep things moving. You don’t need to brush up on alternate timelines or decipher cryptic cameos.
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MARVEL CHARACTERS WITHOUT SUPERPOWERS
Thunderbolts* stands on its own, and more impressively, makes you care about characters who don't even have superpowers.
And that’s exactly the point.
These aren't gods or sorcerers or billionaires in flying suits. They’re broken people with painful pasts, trying to do their best. That makes them so much easier to root for.
The humor hits harder, the emotional moments feel more earned, and the stakes? They actually matter.
David Harbour is hilarious, gruff, and loveably washed-up as the Red Guardian. He’s the guy who always says too much, too loud, and at the worst possible moment—and that’s exactly what makes him fun.
Sebastian Stan brings back his stoic charm as Bucky Barnes, and this time, he feels more like a reluctant leader than a haunted sidekick. He grounds the team with presence alone.
Florence Pugh once again proves she’s one of Marvel’s most valuable players. Her Yelena is sardonic, vulnerable, tough, and oddly maternal all at once. She makes the movie feel real.
Bob, played by Lewis Pullman, is the emotional dark horse of the group. No flashy powers, no ego—just raw instinct, quiet resilience, and a secret that may or may not threaten the world.
Pullman gives him a soft-spoken warmth that makes him instantly likable, which makes the slow reveal of what he’s hiding all the more compelling. He’s one of the most relatable and easy-to-root-for characters in the lineup, and he brings a quiet tension to the film that simmers just beneath the surface.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus continues to have a blast as Valentina; she’s manipulative but never cartoonishly evil, bringing just enough bite to keep things fun.
Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost and Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, on the other hand, feel undercooked. There’s potential for compelling arcs there, but both characters seem like they’re being saved for something later instead of being fully explored now.
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RETURN TO MARVEL ROOTS
But don’t let the “back to basics” tone fool you—Thunderbolts* still brings the Marvel spectacle.
The climax, which sees New York slowly swallowed by an eerie dark energy, is visually stunning. Skyscrapers vanish in silence, streets buckle, and the whole sequence has a surreal, almost dreamlike dread to it. It’s the kind of big-budget chaos Marvel does best—but with emotional stakes this time.
At its core, Thunderbolts* feels like a return to Marvel’s roots. It focuses on the downtrodden, the overlooked, the people with something to prove—not the cosmic elite.
That was always the soul of Marvel comics: ordinary people in extraordinary situations. After years of sky gods and convoluted timelines, it’s a relief to get a story that remembers that.
If Thunderbolts* is the blueprint going forward—focused, character-driven, and unafraid to be a little weird—then the future of the MCU might just be worth getting excited about again.