Thunderbolts* Movie Review: Marvel’s Misfits Make Mayhem

This Thunderbolts movie review explores Marvel’s most chaotic antiheroes as they’re pulled into a mission that might destroy them. or redeem them. In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios rounds up its most chaotic antiheroes: Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, John Walker, and a few surprising additions…

They’re tossed into a mission that looks suspiciously like a suicide run. After getting caught in a deathtrap set by the scheming Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, this squad of lovable losers is forced to face their pasts, their traumas, and each other. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s exactly the kind of team-up nobody asked for, but one you might enjoy anyway.

Thunderbolts Movie Review: The Good Stuff

Marvel’s signature humor is alive and thriving in Thunderbolts. Every character seems to think they’re the funniest one in the room. Against all odds, it actually works more often than it doesn’t. Yelena Belova continues to be a standout, managing to balance her existential crisis with a steady stream of sharp one-liners. Florence Pugh nails the role once again, making Yelena feel both relatable and hilarious.

Sentry Steals the Show

The real MVP here is Lewis Pullman’s Sentry. His arrival represents Marvel at its absolute best: fun, freaky, and unforgettable. Pullman brings a quiet intensity to the character that’s both unnerving and captivating. He knows when to turn up the charm, when to flip the switch to menacing, and when to just let the moment breathe. Whether Sentry is joking with the team or unleashing raw power, Pullman makes it all believable.

Marvel often gets flack for casting cookie-cutter leads. In this case, they struck gold.

The costume work is also worth highlighting. Sentry’s outfit is arguably one of the best comic-accurate designs the MCU has delivered in years. It strikes a perfect balance between practical and theatrical, capturing everything fans love about the source material without ever looking goofy. It’s bold, intimidating, and faithful — a visual win from head to toe.

Bucky and Bob Bring It

Bucky Barnes gets a few badass moments, including a Terminator-style scene stealer that fans will absolutely eat up. Sebastian Stan doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but he reminds us why Bucky remains one of Marvel’s most entertaining characters when he’s allowed to cut loose. Meanwhile, Bob’s dreamwalking powers and chaotic energy add some unexpected heart. Bob’s journey is clumsy, weird, and genuinely moving. It’s a rare triple win in a Marvel project.

The Void Is Real

This isn’t your average Marvel villain who gets a cool intro and fizzles by Act Three. The Void feels dangerous. He’s powerful, disturbing, and forces the team to confront their own limits. There’s an eerie inevitability to him, not just because of what he does, but because of how he does it. He doesn’t yell. He doesn’t monologue. There’s no shouting or theatrics. Instead, he moves with quiet intent, and the movie grows more tense every time he’s on screen.

Multiverse Madness and Chicken Fights

Then there’s the “Chicken Fight” sequence. This scene is pure chaos in the best way. It’s fast, absurd, and totally committed to being ridiculous. This is part of an impressive psychedelic, high-energy journey that mashes up the universe-hopping madness of Multiverse of Madness with the eerie dream logic of WandaVision. It’s colorful, weird, and full of surprises, all while staying rooted in the characters’ emotional stakes. It’s one of the most fun stretches in the film and proof that Marvel still knows how to push the envelope when it wants to.

Wyatt Russell’s Underdog Energy

Finally, Wyatt Russell continues to make John Walker a tragic punchline. The man catches more strays than a Reddit villain of the week. Yet somehow, under all the insults and pratfalls, you can see the guy trying. Walker is still deeply flawed, but you can’t help but feel a little sympathy watching him try, and fail, to be taken seriously. It’s a surprisingly human arc for someone who once felt like a one-note character.

The Bad

Early Action Fumbles

One of the film’s early problems is its action choreography. Some of the first fights feel overly staged, with villains clearly waiting their turn to get punched. That disconnect pulls you out of the moment and makes otherwise intense scenes feel oddly safe. Fortunately, the pacing improves as the film progresses, and later sequences do a better job selling the chaos.

Too Many Jokes

The Marvel humor, while often effective, becomes relentless. Every serious moment seems to get undercut by a punchline. This approach doesn’t ruin the film, but it does soften the emotional impact of moments that should hit harder. Sometimes it even feels like you’re watching a Marvel open mic night. The result is a lack of dramatic weight when the story really needs it.

Taskmaster Wasted Again

Taskmaster fans will be disappointed once more. Her role in the story feels more like a box checked off than a true arc. Her ending is both rushed and unearned. This is a character with huge potential, yet her presence barely registers by the time the credits roll.

Valentina’s Tone Shift

Julia Louis-Dreyfus dominates every scene she’s in, and her comedic timing is flawless. Still, the sudden shift in Valentina’s personality is jarring. She’s gone from calculating and mysterious to wise-cracking and borderline goofy. It’s funny, sure, but it doesn’t match her previous appearances. The inconsistency weakens her overall arc.

The John Walker Roast

Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker takes a lot of hits—literally and verbally. It’s fun at first, but the barrage of jokes and insults starts to wear thin. Eventually, it feels less like character development and more like bullying. There’s depth to explore with Walker, but the movie mostly plays him for laughs.

Where Are the Stakes?

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about Thunderbolts* is its lack of lasting consequences. Deaths are teased. Destruction is promised. But by the end, it all feels reversible. That safety net undermines the dramatic tension. Marvel flirts with darkness but always retreats back to its usual cozy blanket. Also, where are Spider-Man and Captain America? If this threat is universe-level, why are they sitting this one out?

Final Verdict

This Thunderbolts movie review confirms that Marvel’s misfit squad brings more laughs than logic, but still hits the fun button hard. Thunderbolts* is messy, funny, and occasionally brilliant. The movie shines when it leans into its weirdest characters and lets the chaos unfold. Although the action is inconsistent and the humor can be excessive, there is enough heart and energy to keep things entertaining. It may not be revolutionary or bold, but it proves Marvel’s B-team still knows how to suit up and show out when it counts.