A gritty team-up of antiheroes, Thunderbolts blends raw emotion, sharp wit, and high-stakes action as Marvel’s misfits confront their pasts and redefine heroism in a fractured post-Endgame world. Shashwata Ray Chaudhuri reviews the film…

Thunderbolts (2025) is Marvel Studios’ bold new superhero film that unites iconic MCU characters like Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, and U.S. Agent in a high-stakes, emotionally driven action story. Directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson, this Phase 5 release delivers grounded storytelling, intense team dynamics, and thrilling fight sequences with minimal CGI. Centred on redemption, trauma, and moral ambiguity, Thunderbolts introduces Sentry and the terrifying Void as complex new threats. With strong performances by Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, the film reinvigorates the Marvel Cinematic Universe with darker themes, character development, and real-world emotional resonance.

After a series of post-Avengers: Endgame misfires, Thunderbolts brings back some of the lost charm of Marvel Studios, balancing grounded storytelling with the cinematic scale fans expect. The film introduces a group of familiar misfits, each at cross purposes with the others, but eventually forming an alliance—Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)—each carrying emotional baggage, unresolved trauma, and a morally ambiguous past. Their uneasy alliance is forged under covert and ethically grey circumstances, echoing the charm and unpredictability of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), but Thunderbolts sets itself apart with its darker tone and an even sense of humour.

Before Thunderbolts, these characters were scattered across the MCU. Yelena Belova was last seen in the series Hawkeye (2021), where she confronted Clint Barton over her sister Natasha Romanoff’s death and began questioning her role as a killer. Red Guardian, her eccentric father figure, made his debut in Black Widow (2021), struggling with lost glory and relevance. Bucky Barnes, having fought as the Winter Soldier, was last seen in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), trying to find peace and redemption. U.S. Agent, aka John Walker, also emerged from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a volatile soldier stripped of the Captain America title, now recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Ghost, a phase-shifting antihero introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), had vanished from the spotlight, with her survival left uncertain. Lastly, Taskmaster—brainwashed assassin Antonia Dreykov—was liberated at the end of Black Widow, leaving behind a life of forced enslavement.

One of the film’s biggest strengths is the dynamic between the team members. There’s a constant push and pull between mistrust and camaraderie, which leads to both emotionally charged confrontations and surprisingly heartfelt moments. Florence Pugh continues to shine as Yelena, delivering a layered performance that balances dry wit with vulnerability. Her banter with David Harbour’s Red Guardian adds levity, while her strained rapport with Bucky Barnes creates dramatic tension. Sebastian Stan plays Bucky with a worn, weary wisdom, giving the character a sombre gravity reminiscent of an old gunslinger. The film’s sharp dialogue, tight pacing, and focus on character growth give every team member a moment to stand out.

The antagonist, Sentry (Lewis Pullman), emerges as one of the MCU’s more complex figures. Rather than a power-hungry villain, he is portrayed as a man grappling with immense strength and a deteriorating mind. His descent into darkness, represented by his alternate persona—the Void—is both terrifying and tragic. This narrative choice lends the film emotional weight, especially during May, which coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month. Themes of identity loss, loneliness, and internal conflict are sensitively handled and add unexpected depth to the superhero spectacle.

Visually, Thunderbolts favours practical effects and grounded fight choreography over excessive CGI. This choice enhances the realism of the action and raises the stakes. The shadows of the Void engulfing New York City are spectacular to see. Though the climax feels like it could have had a bit more action, the final act avoids overblown destruction and instead focuses on emotional payoffs and moral consequences.

In a return to form, the film also delivers with its post-credit scenes. One sets up the Thunderbolts as possible government-sanctioned heroes, while another teases a larger cosmic arc, possibly tying into the Fantastic Four. Altogether, Thunderbolts is a gritty, character-centric film that is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the MCU’s evolving landscape.

Thunderbolts is directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson, based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and part of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film unites characters from previous titles and series in an ensemble that offers a morally complex counterpoint to the Avengers. With Kevin Feige serving as producer, the film continues Marvel's tradition of blending action, emotion, and world-building—while steering the franchise into new thematic territory.