Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Fosters A Half-Hearted Identity

REVIEW: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Fosters A Half-Hearted Identity

Prabhjot BainsBy Prabhjot Bains04/29/20255 Mins ReadUpdated:05/06/2025
The cast of the Thunderbolts
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

If anything encapsulates this post-Endgame era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s an ingrained adherence to the tenets of “Checklist Cinema.” Villains must, at some point, meticulously explain their evil plan, heroes are required to ceaselessly interject with wisecracks, and a third-act, population-consuming threat needs to be swiftly stopped. These are but a few of the mandated items Director Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* must satisfy before it’s finally permitted to go against the grain and carve an identity for itself. But when Schreier’s film reaches that milestone, it’s too little, too late.

For a film about anti-heroes rebelling against their imposed instincts and labels, Thunderbolts* feels acutely stunted by the limitations levied by its shared universe, where the mold it’s forced to fit into obfuscates any new, daring lens. What remains is a superhero experience that, despite its best efforts to tackle the intricacies of mental health and trauma, feels purpose-made to disappear and blend into the MCU’s ever-expanding production line.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

At the heart of Thunderbolts*’ rag-tag group lies Black Widow assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). After running countless covert operations for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the CIA’s shady director facing impeachment, Yelena finds herself disillusioned with her lot in life. Burdened by her traumatic past and lonely existence, she decides to call it quits after one last job.

Upon infiltrating a hidden base to eliminate a target, Yelena finds herself caught in a death trap, alongside other superpowered operatives, some of whom were contracted to kill her. As a scuffle between Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and the bumbling Bob (Lewis Pullman) ensues, they soon realize they were all set up by Valentina. As they’re all evidence of her corrupt dealings, she’d rather see them destroyed. After joining hands with Yelena’s father, Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Superhero-turned-congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the misfit bunch works to escape and take the fight to Valentina while confronting their dark pasts.

Thunderbolts* recycles familiar tropes and tired punchlines. 

David Harbour as Red Guardian in Thunderbolts

Despite its best efforts, the first half of Thunderbolts* unfolds as the amalgamation of all the tropes, character beats, and recycled humor the MCU has accumulated across its almost 20-year iteration. While the notion of having five opposing personalities trapped in an isolated location and forced to overcome emotional and physical hurdles sounds like a fresh rebuttal to the familiar formula, it’s mired in thin characterization and predictable, interjecting comedy that strips any semblance of sincerity from the film.

Whether the troupe finds themselves in a hairy situation or a bona fide brawl, a ceaseless barrage of punchlines and one-liners undercut any sense of tension or stakes Thunderbolts* seeks to foster.  The screenplay dredges up the corniest and laziest of pop cultural references to retain a pulse and add inklings of personality to its ensemble. It’s all part of an attempt to establish a cavalcade of quirky, endearing personas, but no one character behaves authentically enough to feel relatable.

Instead, what remains is a bevy of one-note caricatures that are reduced to the same few affectations and mannerisms. Harbour’s Red Guardian constantly howls, Stan’s Winter Soldier is reduced to the identical few smoldering glares, and Russell’s disgraced former Captain America is the sole accumulation of his arrogant outbursts. It’s a quality that’s especially surprising given co-screenwriter Joanna Calo, famous for her work in The Bear, is no stranger to fostering nuanced and textured portraits of broken characters.

The rare moments of kinetic, bravura filmmaking—especially in an early, intricately staged oner—also fall prey to the demands of the quippy screenplay. Sequences steeped in the crafty, eye-catching spectacle are shrouded in endless narration, voice-over, or bantering. On a purely visual level, Thunderbolts* is rarely afforded the space to breathe and develop on its own, often playing second fiddle to the trite interactions of its characters.

Not every character is treated equal in the latest Marvel project.

Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost in Thunderbolts

It also doesn’t help that the film’s production design borrows too liberally from other films, with one LED-lit room practically lifted from Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. With so much of the MCU’s output reliant on shoddy CGI, it’s unfortunate that Thunderbolts*’ emphasis on practical sets and effects fails to foster a distinct identity, manifesting as a hodgepodge of bolder influences.

Once Thunderbolts* satisfies its obligatory checklist, it enters a creative flurry in its final act. It’s an approach that goes beyond mere fisticuffs to infiltrate the tortured mindscapes of its heroes, craftily shifting from one bad memory to another. In these moments, Thunderbolts* operates in rare territory for the MCU, looking inward at its characters, and the emptiness of the shame and grief that occupies them. Yet, it’s a daring final act that doesn’t quite reach its potential, dulled by the broad-stroked characterizations that led up to it.

Despite being a film about a group of heroes, Thunderbolts* only finds the time to give Pugh and Pullman their flowers. The rest of the capable ensemble isn’t given the same opportunity to flex their legs and rise above the few inflections the screenplay demands. While Thunderbolts* is one of the better MCU outings in recent years, challenging the emotional envelope of its contemporaries, it only musters a half-hearted attempt.

Thunderbolts is now playing in theaters everywhere.

Thunderbolts
  • 5.5/10
    Rating - 5.5/10
5.5/10

TL;DR

While Thunderbolts* is one of the better MCU outings in recent years, challenging the emotional envelope of its contemporaries, it only musters a half-hearted attempt.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleMetaphor ReFantazio Soundtrack 4XLP Vinyl Pre-Order Now Live
Next Article REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ Episode 4 – “Top Runner “
Prabhjot Bains
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Prabhjot Bains is a Toronto-based film writer and critic who has structured his love of the medium around three indisputable truths- the 1970s were the best decade for American cinema, Tom Cruise is the greatest sprinter of all time, and you better not talk about fight club. His first and only love is cinema and he will jump at the chance to argue why his movie opinion is much better than yours. His film interests are diverse, as his love of Hollywood is only matched by his affinity for international cinema. You can reach Prabhjot on Instagram and Twitter @prabhjotbains96. Prabhjot's work can also be found at Exclaim! Tilt Magazine and The Hollywood Handle.

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Gojo Jujutsu Kaisen - But Why Tho (2) Features

Everything To Know About Satoru Gojo

By Kate Sánchez09/07/2023Updated:02/16/2025

Satoru Gojo is the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 — now, heading into Cour 2, here is everything you need to know about the character.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here