Thunderbolts* Review: Marvel’s Antihero Squad Delivers Big Action and Heart

On Apr 30, 2025

Guess who’s back? Marvel that’s who. Following Captain America: Brave New World, which surprisingly received mixed reviews and effectively signalled the beginning of Marvel’s new phase, the studio is aiming to ramp up efforts with its latest offering, Thunderbolts*.

Not too long ago we confessed to having ‘comic book movie fatigue’ but somehow we keep coming back for more, why? First, FOMO, and second, the cool stories behind these rich fictional characters. We must also confess to the fact that we walked into Thunderbolts* with a level of curiosity but more so, skepticism. The trailers hadn’t done much to entirely win us over, and therefore we weren’t really sure what to expect. But, boy, were we pleasantly surprised! The film exceeded our expectations, delivering a thrilling ride that had us hooked across key junctures.

Before we go into a bit of detail of why and how it won us over, let’s first find out what it’s all about. Thunderbolts* features the assembling of an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

The cast delivers impressive performances that bring depth and nuance to the story. Led by Sebastian Stan, the chemistry between the leads (also featuring Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is palpable with great sprinkles of humour throughout.

The action sequences, accompanied by stunning visuals, are beyond satisfactory with the film’s pacing also being well-balanced, moving seamlessly between intense action and quieter moments of character development. Speaking of the latter, a small criticism, we feel Marvel could have done a better job of telling each character’s backstory which felt a bit rushed.

The storyline — increasingly crucial, especially for us — may be a bit thin, but was nonetheless engaging and well-structured. The film’s themes are well-woven throughout although the narrative could have been better to add further depth and complexity to the story.