Thunderbolts Review: Marvel Rediscovers Its Spark With a Gritty, Hilarious Adventure

Thunderbolts Reloads Marvel with Heart and Guts

Forget what you know about the usual Marvel formula. Thunderbolts* throws a curveball that’s got critics and longtime fans grinning for the first time in ages. Marvel, often knocked for recycling the same old hero-villain dance, hands the reins to director Jake Schreier, who shakes up the MCU with a team that’s less shiny spandex, more battered souls.

This ragtag crew, led by Florence Pugh’s razor-sharp Yelena Belova, David Harbour’s scene-stealing Red Guardian, Sebastian Stan as the ever-conflicted Bucky Barnes, and Lewis Pullman as the unexpectedly charming Bob, is less about saving the world and more about surviving themselves. Square-jawed heroes? Not so much. These are antiheroes with scars---inside and out---and that’s exactly what makes their journey tick.

At the core of the movie is the explosive family dynamic between Pugh’s Yelena and Harbour’s Red Guardian. Their banter is fast and funny, layered with genuine hurt, and unspoken love. Harbour brings big, unpolished energy, hamming it up in scenes but never losing sight of the character’s longing to connect. That ‘dad’ vibe, equal parts cringey and heartfelt, sets the emotional tone, and reminds audiences what made Black Widow’s quieter moments so great.

The script refuses to tiptoe around tough subjects, putting the mental health struggles of its heroes front and center. But there’s no heavy-handed lecture here. Instead, these topics bleed into conversations naturally---the jokes as much a shield as their guns. Yelena often masks her pain with sarcasm, while Red Guardian’s bravado hides his sense of failure. Bucky’s softer outings with Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) show the real cost of their pasts, and the two share vulnerable exchanges that make their trauma feel honest, never forced.

Action, Humor, and Fresh Faces Power a New Direction

But hey, this is Marvel. There’s still action, and Thunderbolts delivers. The fight scenes pack more stakes than CGI wizardry. Every punch, every slip-up, has consequences. You actually fear these characters might not always land on their feet, and that tension draws you in deeper than any sky-beam climax ever could.

Florence Pugh takes the spotlight, proving again she’s the MVP of this newest Marvel era. Her Yelena is conflicted but gutsy, dry-witted yet devastatingly sincere. Lewis Pullman’s Bob is a surprisingly effective foil, feeding off Yelena’s guarded energy in ways that actually make you root for their oddball partnership. Stan’s Bucky doesn’t get a ton of screen time, which fans haven’t missed, but the scenes he does have show the burden he still carries. There are hints of connection, especially in the trauma-bonding moments with Ghost, that flesh out his character without slowing the pace.

• The action doesn’t just look cool---it matters, pushing the story and characters forward.
• Comedic beats land because they emerge from real pain instead of undercutting it.
• Supporting players get room to breathe, making the world feel lived-in, not just a backdrop for set pieces.

This isn’t the Marvel of old, where big villains and city-smashing finales ruled. Thunderbolts* carves out a space for complicated heroes, raw feelings, and just enough absurdity to keep you surprised. It’s messy and unpredictable, a shot of adrenaline that the MCU desperately needed.