Review: Thunderbolts*
Disney
Marvel’s Thunderbolts finally hits theaters, and with it comes one of the most chaotic, morally gray, and unexpectedly emotional entries in the MCU to date. While the film takes some big swings—with uneven results—it offers enough compelling character work, shocking twists, and dark spectacle to stand apart from its franchise predecessors. It's not perfect, but it's fascinating.
Yelena Steals the Spotlight Early
Disney
The film opens strong with a pulse-pounding rooftop escape led by Yelena Belova. Florence Pugh continues to prove she’s one of the MCU’s most magnetic performers, and knowing she did her own stunt work during that jaw-dropping building jump only adds to the intensity. The action feels raw, real, and grounded in a way Marvel sometimes forgets how to do. Yelena's early scenes with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) dig into some of the deeper moral ambiguity this film is playing with. Valentina’s manipulative brilliance shines through as she orchestrates the Thunderbolts into a deadly, crumbling unit—each member set up to take the others out. It’s the MCU’s Suicide Squadmoment, but darker and more tightly wound.
Taskmaster’s Exit: Blink and You Miss It
Taskmaster’s return was… brief. While never a fan-favorite from her earlier appearances, her presence here felt more like a narrative device than a character arc. That said, her final moments —while short-lived—packed more punch than expected, hinting at a complexity the film never fully explores.
Bob (The Sentry): A Powerhouse Undercooked
Disney
Arguably the most hyped addition to the MCU roster, Bob Reynolds, aka The Sentry, enters the fray in a somewhat underwhelming fashion. Introduced with memory loss and unstable powers, Bob’s characterization leans heavily on his inner turmoil. While that aligns with comic canon, the execution feels thin—especially considering how terrifying the Void becomes later on. The underground bunker escape sequence is a solid high point for his arc, though. It’s tense, well-staged, and gives the team a chance to show some synergy before everything inevitably falls apart.
Rushed Rhythms and Limo Laughs
The Thunderbolts’ road-trip escape, including a brief car chase and a too-quick resolution, is one of the film’s more rushed sequences. It feels like a few key scenes were left on the cutting roomfloor. Thankfully, the limo scene that follows redeems it—offering one of the few true “team” moments in the film and some genuinely funny character beats.
Enter Bucky Barnes.
In perhaps the movie’s best moment, Bucky shows up on a motorcycle to apprehend the team. It’s a stylish, surprising, and satisfying reveal—one that ties into his past while reminding us how much of a badass he still is. His dry humor and world-weary charm cut nicely through the tension.
The Sentry's Downfall and the Shadow of the Void
Disney
As Valentina attempts to trigger the Sentry's kill switch, it becomes clear that things aren’t going to plan. Bob’s transformation into the Void is visually spectacular—turning people into shadowy husks in one of the best CGI sequences Marvel has delivered in years. Unfortunately, that brilliance is short-lived. The Void appears, devastates, and vanishes far too quickly. The mechanics of the kill switch are left frustratingly vague. Did it blow up his brain? Disable a part of his memory? The ambiguity might be intentional, but it leaves too many questions for a character this important. Also, the CGI on the helicopters during this sequence? Not great.
Dream Logic and Missed Opportunities
The dream sequence—used to explore Yelena’s psyche—starts off strong but lingers a bit too long. It offers intriguing insights into her character, but when the rest of the team enters her dream, it all happens a little too fast. We’re especially robbed of what Bucky might have seen, which feels like a huge missed opportunity for deeper emotional exploration. That said, Bucky’s one-liners continue to hit. Sebastian Stan clearly had fun with this role.
Screen Rant
Final Act: A Finish That Feels Half-Done
As the film barrels toward its conclusion, it becomes clear something’s missing. The escape sequence, the confrontation, the resolution—it all comes too fast. It feels like Thunderbolts is missing a crucial 20–30 minutes of final act content, especially around the Sentry/Void arc. Valentina’s final reveal—that this team is “the new Avengers”—falls flat. It’s unclear who authorized that, and with characters like Sam Wilson and Spider-Man still active, it feels forced at best, confusing at worst.
Post-Credit Promise: Fantastic Futures
Thankfully, Thunderbolts leaves us with one hell of a post-credit scene: the reveal of the Fantastic Four, clearly from another universe. It’s an exciting, ominous tease that hints atmultiversal fallout and possibly a destroyed Earth in their past. Now thatis how you end a Marvel movie.
The Verdict
Thunderbolts is messy, ambitious, and surprisingly intimate. It’s not Marvel’s most polished work, but it is one of its most interesting experiments in recent years. With stellar performances (especially Pugh and Stan), great action, and some genuinely bold choices, the movie almost sticks the landing—but doesn’t quite finish the routine.
Rating: 8.1/10
A worthy addition to the MCU that sets up big things ahead—but could’ve used another half hour to truly soar