Thunderbolts* Review: Mental Health and Florence Pugh Collide in Unexpected Ways in Marvel's Newest Offering

"You're not alone."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its fair share of ups and downs since its mighty heyday circa 2019. Pre-pandemic, when movie theaters still ruled as mainstay entertainment venues and audiences were excited to witness their favorite superheroes seemingly come back from the dead, the MCU has since failed to regain its glory on top of the worldwide box office. After a series of missteps both on television and in theaters, Marvel is doing its best to alter its cinematic course by continuing its own "Suicide Squad"-esque entry with "Thunderbolts*."

Do we know why there's an asterisk in the name? Do we care? Does it add anything to the film's mystique? Well, there is nothing like a rag-tag group of misfits to revive a dying franchise. 

"Thunderbolts*" stars Florence Pugh (and I do mean stars because the actress takes every scene and makes it her own) as Yelena Belova, a former Black Widow assassin who continues to work in secret for the Director of the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Bored and likely to retire from creating havoc in the shadows, Yelena asks the soon-to-be impeached Valentina for a more public-facing role, which Valentina doesn't take kindly to. Instead, the power-hungry bureaucrat traps Yelena along with fellow antiheroes John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) in a large incinerator to get rid of her criminal activity evidence once and for all.

What Valentina and the unlikely group of lawbreakers didn't anticipate upon their arrival at the incinerator is a man with amnesia: Bob (Lewis Pullman). It's quickly discovered that Bob might be the key to surviving Valentina's dastardly plans, but he might also be the villain the world fears the most. As a test subject of one of Valentina's failed experiments, Bob becomes a superpowered individual more powerful than all of the Avengers put together.

In order to stop Valentina's desire to use Bob's talents to her advantage, the team of disposable delinquents turned scrappy antiheroes recruit Yelena's father figure, the Red Guardian (David Harbour) and now-Congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), into their group. Termed "The Thunderbolts," based on the name of Yelena's pee-wee soccer team, the group is tasked with saving New York (thus the world) from Valentina and Bob's destructive mission. Politics and superheroes have never intertwined as much in the MCU, which might benefit this film.

"Thunderbolts*" is ultimately a commentary on mental health but disguises itself as an ensemble comedy fit for comic book lore. We've seen the antihero trope play out in the superhero genre in the past, but this movie dives deeper into the inflection points of childhood and adulthood that make or break an individual's psyche. Yelena and Bob's tortuous pasts are on full display, with each member of the Thunderbolts clan getting their memories analyzed along the way.

As Marvel attempts to wax poetic about what makes a person tick, the film concentrates its efforts on examining the dangerous aspects that one individual can achieve. The movie evolves from being about the individual to representing a team sport…and this down-on-their-luck team must learn to work together to dismantle a government official doing her best Tulsi Gabbard impression and abusing her power. The premise takes on an "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" angle that doesn't quite stick the landing but is a fun ride all the same.

"Thunderbolts*" is clearly Marvel's pivot to focusing on character development over visual flair. It struggles at times to fill the void (pun intended) left by other entries to the MCU, yet keeps the magic alive long enough to stand on its own two feet. Anchored by a winning Florence Pugh performance mixed with humor and gravitas that makes for an entertaining comic book movie, the superhero powers are left on the cutting room floor. At the same time, the film strives to bring more complex characters into its expanding fold.

Marvel is making the case for their newest iteration of "The Fantastic Four" to reclaim the throne at the top of the summer blockbuster season. In the meantime, "Thunderbolts*" can declare its rightful place as a lead into the Pedro Pascal-led film by defining characters that will live on in the MCU for the next few years. It's a worthwhile ride that slopes toward a therapy inclination while humanizing its central characters.

It's a literal group hug that is sweeter than sour but does not add anything memorable to the growing MCU franchise.