Review: 'Thunderbolts*' makes some noise but doesn't quite capture lightning in a bottle

Marvel Studios/Disney, 2025.

There's little question that "Thunderbolts*" is one of the better Marvel films of the past few years...but that's a very low bar to clear.

Taking a cue from the legendary film critic Roger Ebert, all movies should be judged "relative to genre," meaning we shouldn't, say, put "The Minecraft Movie" on the same grading scale as "The Godfather."

With that in mind, "Thunderbolts*" may feel a bit more inspired than recent Marvel movies. But even accepting it for what it is - a teen-targeted superhero team movie - any praise quickly crumbles when you hold up against nearly any other film in the same category. I'll explain.

Grade: C+

That asterisk at the end of "Thunderbolts*" is important, but explaining why veers into spoiler territory, so I won't. The film serves as an origin story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU's) newest band of heroes, brought together to stop another otherworldly threat from destroying the Earth.

Where The Avengers were intentionally assembled by the virtuous Nick Fury, The Thunderbolts come together almost by accident, under the manipulative eye of  morally bankrupt CIA Chief Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). If you've been keeping up with the various Marvel Disney+ TV series (and films), this motley crew will feel very familiar. For everyone else, many of them will seem entirely out of place.

The most compelling character - by far -  is Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), sister to the late Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). There's also loose cannon and Captain America reject John Walker (Wyatt Russell) a.k.a. U.S. Agent; Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), the phasing antagonist from "Ant-Man and The Wasp"; and Soviet super soldier Red Guardian (David Harbour) who mostly functions as comic relief. Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is the most seasoned and recognizable name in the group.

With pressure mounting against de Fontaine for her covert, unethical operations, she tries to pit her own team members against each other—hoping they’ll self-destruct and leave no trace. That plan backfires, and the unlikely team bands together. Just in time, too, as “Bob” (Lewis Pullman)—a strange, unassuming man introduced earlier—is about to become one of the most powerful and dangerous villains in MCU history.

There's action, but no particular sequences that really stand out. There's humor, but it pales next to the likes of "Guardians of the Galaxy." And while this "misfit team-up" concept has potential, it was executed better (and more stylishly) in rival studio's "Suicide Squad." Only Pugh's Yelena gets any real character depth; the others feel as disposable as background extras.

The film even pokes fun at its own shortcomings, with multiple references to how this is a “B-vengers” team, not an A-list crew. But being self-aware doesn't excuse mediocrity—it just highlights it.

It was refreshing to get an MCU story that avoids the convoluted multiverse. But what once made these movies cool - the interconnected storylines - is now their Achilles' heel. They're no longer telling complete stories; they're building chapters in an endless cinematic soap opera. You might enjoy this one installment, but that doesn’t fix the fatigue setting in across the whole franchise.

Being "the best Marvel movie in years" may have once been a compliment. Now, it feels like a desperate plea for relevance. Does anybody truly care if this team shows up in future installments?

Marvel is running low on interesting new characters. Trying to make us excited about a B-team of superheroes doesn't feel inspired...it's a bit closer to insulting.

Grade: C+

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy.
Run Time: 2 hours 6 minutes.
Rated PG-13.

Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Wendell Pierce, Geraldine Viswanathan.

Directed by Jake Schreier ("Robot & Frank," "Paper Towns").

"Thunderbolts*" is in theaters everywhere on Friday, May 2nd, 2025.