Mature themes have always been a part of Marvel Comics. From Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue, Old Man Logan, and 1 Month 2 Live, we have been told stories beyond heroes fighting physical villains. In most books mentioned, the hero is fighting something within themselves. Whether their past is haunting them or they only have a short amount to live, these stories make the heroes feel more grounded and human.

In Marvel Studios’ The Thunderbolts*, we see how actions from the past haunt Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and the continuing cycle spirals her into a form of depression. Not sure what to do with her life, she seeks advice from her father, Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), AKA the Red Guardian. Judging by their interaction, it feels that they have not been close since the actions of Black Widow. Trying to find purpose in her life, she decides to do one more job for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). 

In its most adult title to date, Thunderbolts* tackles themes such as depression, mental illness, family issues, and the feeling of loneliness when surrounded by those who care about you. Florence Pugh leads a cast of well-grounded characters that as the story progresses their layers are slowly removed exposing the inner pain they are hiding. Without giving anything away, John Walker AKA U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), whose story hits close to home to those who put their work above their family. The pressure of living up to something takes a toll on his life that a uniform can not hide. 

Thunderbolts*  has some great action scenes, but it also has a lot of exposition between the characters. This is to catch the audience up on the characters they may not be familiar with. If you have not seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, or Ant-Man and The Wasp, you may not know the stories of US Agent, The Red Guardian, and Ava Starr AKA Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Although Ghost’s story is told in the interactions with the characters, we don’t learn anything new about her. 

In typical Marvel fashion, there are a few great action sequences. In these moments, we see the beginning of the team working together and learning how to work as a team.  What is great about these moments is that the action is more grounded in Earth. Even though the big bad is all-powerful, we see how the team relies on each other and comes to terms with what they can and can not do. The moment in Avengers Tower is incredible in showing what an all-powerful being can do once they realize their potential. It is also scary when they realize that they do not need to listen to anyone who is considered a subordinate to them. Seriously, why would a god listen to the average person? 

At the heart of the movie is the performances by Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman, AKA Bob. Yelena is struggling with the fact of doing the same things over and over, and not having someone to decompress with. We see her reliving a tragic moment in her life and how the outcome of the moment still haunts her to this day. She is also mourning the loss of her sister and does not have the relationship with her father that she wants. 

In Bob, we see a character who has lived a troubled life and wants to find a purpose for himself. Feeling that he always “messes things up,” Bob volunteers for a program that, according to the recruiter, will make his life better. In giving control of his life for a greater good, Bob’s mental state is challenged to do what is right and what he feels needs to be done to be appreciated. Seeing the arcs that both Bob and Yelena go through really makes Thunderbolts* stand out from recent Marvel Studios movies. The closest we got to this type of theme is in Avengers: Endgame during the therapy scene. 

Final Thoughts: The Thunderbolts* deals with team dynamics, mental illness, family issues, and the control of power. There are some fantastic action sequences and big laughs. The themes of feeling alone hark back to memories of the first Guardians of the Galaxy. There are some slow moments, but the final act redeems the pace, and the post-credit scenes are hilarious and jaw-dropping!

Kid-Friendly: Due to some of the themes in the movie, it does get a little dark and might not be suitable for kids under 11. Teens might connect to the feeling of loneliness and find the people in their lives who believe in them. There is some bad language in the movie sprinkled throughout. 

Violence: The violence in Thunderbolts* is similar to the violence in the previous Marvel movies. 

In “Thunderbolts*” Marvel Studios assembles 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. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late? The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Jake Schreier directs “Thunderbolts*” and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, and the story is by Eric Pearson. Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*” releases May 2, 2025, in U.S. theaters.