I feel every time a Marvel movie comes out, we do this dance of trying not to get too excited while also having the (sometimes desperate) hope that it will be good. And not just normal good. Good like how we used to have it. The “back in my day,” aspect of films in the MCU. You know, pre-Endgame. And yes, we have had some enjoyable movies since then, but even the ones I was quite fond of have cooled as time has gone by, and almost none still carry the spark of what we have been longing for. Thunderbolts* didn’t seem to have much going for it as it felt like the Marvel version of Suicide Squad which is hardly original. It is quite wonderful then to say that it really is the best we’ve had in a long while and sets the stage for some fantastic things going forward.
As is my norm with a lot of these movies, the synopsis will be barebones due to fear of spoilers. Let’s just say a bunch of C-list antiheroes join forces to stop bad guys, and wackiness ensues.
I think I was as surprised as anyone that this worked as well as it did. Sure, Marvel has a track record with Guardians about putting together a gang of unknown misfits who fight to save the day, but that had James Gunn behind it, and he is practically a genius at doing that. But with the Thunderbolts crew, even in the other movies they’re in, they didn’t make much of an impact. The fact they were able to bring them together and not only make them feel like a team but also as important individuals is an accomplishment. Yes, it’s a bit rote that they meet, battle, and then begrudgingly trust each other for the greater good, but it’s fully believable by the end since the way they finally bond is presented in a singular way I don’t think we have seen before.
As much as this is an action-filled superhero flick, its main focus and driving force of the story is on mental health. Each character is burdened with enough grief, shame, and regret to keep an army of therapists busy for years. It’s what pushes them forward even if they don’t want to admit to or see it. I’m trying to be as vague as possible here, but the fact that each of them has to almost literally face this in the climax of the film becomes something that will make them family for life. When you’re at your absolute worst and lowest moments, the ones who surround you, pick you up, and sometimes literally carry you to safety creates a connection that is nearly impossible to sever, and that is what Thunderbolts* brilliantly portrays. There is a ton of fun surrounding this message, but it is truly the heart and soul of the show.
Marvel has also had a longstanding villain problem in that few have had strong reasons for their actions other than to destroy or take over the world. The only ones I can think of who had decent motivation were obviously Thanos, and then Baron Zemo in Civil War. Coincidentally, those were the only two who we can really say won. Not here though. We actually have a well thought out and even sympathetic bad guy whose machinations strangely make sense. Once again, it goes back to the concepts of grief and shame that can make anyone go mad and do horrible things, not just to themselves, but also to others.
It might seem odd to compare this to some of what we have gotten from the indie darling studio A24, but there are definite influences. From the way it is shot, acted, written, and even how the choreography of some scenes play out, you can tell the creators are fans. It’s not going to win any awards, but it is a much more emotional and thoughtful movie than Marvel has released in years. Considering we’ve only been able to experience this in their TV shows, it’s refreshing to see that they might be learning their lesson and getting back on track with their big screen outings. If this is how they’re going to handle things with the MCU going forward, I couldn’t be more excited. I just hope they don’t drop the ball and return to empty-headed popcorn movies because, as fun as those are, I like it when my entertainment has a few extra levels to dig through to get the real message.