The Thunderbolts * Movie, set in a post-Avengers era, chronicles the journey of antiheroes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurlenko), as they battle and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis Dreyfus) and eventually Bob Reynolds/Sentry/Void (Lewis Pullman).
The film opens with antihero protagonist Yelena Belova reflecting about life and her zest for living. Whilst cleaning evidence for employer Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Yelena continues introspective thoughts and later visits patriarch Alexei Shostakov, also known at the Red Guardian and Soviet Union’s sole super soldier, to air her sentiments regarding life.
Yelena was then called by Valentina, Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and currently under an impeachment case, for a mission which, in truth, will lead to Yelena’s demise. Here, she meets Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker, along with an unwitting Bob. This uneventful meeting eventually turned foes to allies. With the addition of the Red Guadian and the Winter Soldier, the group formed a collaboration of antiheroes known as the Thunderbolts *.
“Assembling a ragtag band of underdogs with Florence Pugh as their magnetic standout, Thunderbolts* refreshingly returns to the tried-and-true blueprint of the MCU’s best adventures.” – Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film is a sequel to Ant Man and the Wasp, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Widow. It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and 14th installment of Phase Five.
Thunderbolts * is not the usual superhero film – especially when it is preceded by the Avengers, a prominent all star cast. Thunderbolts is a comedic collaboration of misfit antiheroes, offering a fresh perspective to a superhero film.
Five stars.
