There was a time when a Marvel film release was an event. Now it feels like a group project submitted two hours before the deadline, where half the team is coasting on vibes and the other half isn’t even sure what subject the presentation is for. Let’s be honest — the MCU has been limping lately. Too many CGI bloated finales, too many jokes that don’t land, and a cinematic universe that feels more like homework than entertainment.
And into this cluttered multiverse chaos comes Thunderbolts (2025) – Marvel’s attempt at an anti-Avengers ensemble featuring the C-tier class of the MCU roster. It’s the movie equivalent of assembling your fantasy football team in Week 9 after everyone’s injured and your top pick is a kicker. Let’s break it down. When Marvel announced Thunderbolts, their “edgy” anti-hero team-up, I braced for another two-hour trailer for the next crossover and boy, was I right.
THE LINEUP NOBODY ASKED FOR… REALLY
Let’s look at this charming line-up: Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh doing her best to carry the film with sarcasm and trauma), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan still brooding and wondering why he’s back in this mess), Red Guardian (David Harbour hamming it up again, but now with even more dad jokes), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell being aggressively forgettable), Ghost, and Taskmaster (the latter two reappearing like Windows popups you thought you closed three phases ago). This squad feels like the leftovers from Marvel’s Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve got charisma (Yelena), nostalgia (Bucky), and a bunch of unresolved plot threads duct-taped together into something approximating a movie.
Oh, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which still feels like casting a comedy legend into a role that refuses to give her anything remotely funny or memorable to do. Just smirks, suits, and scheming in the background like a rejected Bond villain.
THE PLOT? DON’T WORRY, IT’S CLASSIFIED
Without spoiling too much (as if there’s anything earth-shattering here), the Thunderbolts are recruited by Val for a black-ops mission that conveniently goes wrong in ways that require emotional monologues and third-act CGI chaos (Also, why has the CGI gotten worse lately?).
There’s vague geopolitical tension, a threat that may or may not involve yet another multiversal crack, and some pseudo-commentary on loyalty, trauma, and government overreach. You’ve seen all of this before – just with better editing and stronger characters.
Oh, and Bucky has beef with Red Guardian, which makes for some good banter until it’s overcooked. Yelena remains the only truly magnetic presence, doing all the heavy lifting in scenes that would otherwise feel like filler episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
WHAT WORKS: FLORENCE PUGH. THAT’S IT.
Florence Pugh is once again the saving grace of this entire experiment. She injects humor, emotion, and a sense of humanity into a film desperately in need of a pulse. If Marvel ever gets their act together, they’ll build a better franchise around her — but until then, she’s stuck dragging this half-dead horse to the finish line. David Harbour gets a few chuckles. Sebastian Stan acts like he knows this is a paycheck role. The rest? Digital wallpaper. The Sentry is wasted and looks like some Norse God cosplay character rather than one of the most powerful superheroes on Earth.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK: EVERYTHING ELSE
- No stakes. The film feels like a side quest in a video game — fun in the moment but irrelevant to the larger narrative.
- No villain worth caring about. The antagonist is just a foggy blend of ideology and tech that feels like it escaped from the editing floor of Secret Invasion.
- The action? Overedited and CGI-heavy, with none of the grounded brutality that a movie like Winter Soldier once pulled off so masterfully.
- Tone? Inconsistent. One minute it wants to be gritty espionage, the next it’s Guardians-style slapstick. Pick a lane.
Thunderbolts isn’t just a movie; it’s a symptom. A sign that Marvel is throwing darts in the dark, hoping something sticks while Kevin Feige sends emails with “Phase 6?” in the subject line. There’s no real world-building, no excitement for what’s next, and honestly, no reason this needed to be a theatrical release. This could’ve been a Disney+ series. Hell, it could’ve been two episodes.
Thunderbolts (2025) is a chaotic blend of underused characters, uninspired action, and tonal confusion. It’s watchable — thanks largely to Florence Pugh — but completely skippable if you’re hoping for a return to Marvel’s golden era. The MCU doesn’t need another team. It needs a break.
JAY’S VERDICT
Watch if you’re a completionist. Skip if you’re expecting actual stakes, vision, or fun.
