Marvel Studios’ ‘‘Thunderbolts*,’’ Marvel’s newest blockbuster film, introduces fans to a new team of anti-heroes with characters from all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With fan favorites like Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier, Red Guardian and more returning, along with new and exciting characters debuting, fans are in for a wild ride.
Released on May 2, ‘‘Thunderbolts*’’ has been very well received by fans and critics alike, with many saying it’s one of the best MCU movies that has been released in recent years.
“It’s really good,” junior Yahir Ruiz said. “I felt that the movie really highlights the idea of how you cannot bury traumatic events deep down because if you do, you can actually cause more damage if it erupts all at once. I also like how well-written the characters and plot were. I would give it a 10 out of 10.”
The movie’s six main protagonists have all made appearances in MCU films and streaming shows before. Yelena Belova, Red Guardian and Taskmaster made their first appearances in Phase 4 of the MCU in “Black Widow” from 2021. Winter Soldier, also known as Bucky Barnes, has been around since Phase 1, making his first appearance in “Captain America: The First Avenger” in 2011. U.S. Agent, otherwise known as John Walker, hasn’t been seen since his debut in 2021’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” And the last member of the team, Ghost, made her debut in 2018’s “Ant-Man and The Wasp.”
Along with the returning characters, “Thunderbolts*” introduces a new complex character to the MCU. His name is Robert “Bob” Reynolds, and he is known as The Sentry, a very powerful character, who’s supposedly as strong if not stronger than all the Avengers combined. The Sentry’s creation was run by Contessa Allegra De Fontaine, the Director of the CIA. He was created in the absence of the Avengers, meant to protect the world from whatever threat it faced. As a result of the experiment, not only was The Sentry created, but so was an evil and malicious counterpart known as The Void. He serves as the main antagonist of the film, giving the Thunderbolts the difficult task of defeating him.
This movie explores many complex themes, such as finding one’s place, mental health and overcoming past mistakes. All of the main characters have a past they would like to forget, and this movie showcases them overcoming it and coming out stronger than they were before.
The runtime for “Thunderbolts*” is two hours and six minutes and is rated PG-13 due to the strong violence and occasional language, similar to every other Marvel Studios movie. This film also has a mid-credits and post-credits scene, so make sure to stay after the movie ends to see a sneak peek of what's to come.
I highly recommend seeing this film if you are a fan of Marvel movies and are looking for an action-packed story about a group of lost anti-heroes searching for where they belong. With a star-studded cast featuring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and more, the film packs an emotional punch and brings a new fan favorite film to new heights. Seen as one of the best Marvel movies since “Avengers: Endgame,” “Thunderbolts*” is a breath of fresh air to Marvel fans and movie-goers alike.