Let’s be real—most of us are feeling a little superhero fatigue these days.
With a new cape or cowl hitting screens every other month, it’s hard to keep caring.
But once in a while, a movie sneaks in and actually shakes things up a bit.
That’s exactly what Thunderbolts manages to do—and it’s all thanks to the unstoppable Florence Pugh.
Florence Pugh Shines as the Not-So-Average Assassin
Florence Pugh, still not even 30, is stacking up one of the most versatile resumes in Hollywood.
She’s played everything from a brooding Victorian bride (Lady Macbeth) to a firecracker WWE wrestler (Fighting With My Family), and she recently made waves in Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.
But in Thunderbolts, she digs into a very different kind of role—Yelena Belova, a sarcastic, emotionally scarred assassin who scrolls on her phone like the rest of us.
Her character debuted in Black Widow, bouncing off Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff with biting humor.
But now, in Thunderbolts, she finally takes the spotlight—and honestly, it fits her like a glove.
She’s vulnerable, hilarious, and a little broken, which makes her far more interesting than your typical comic book hero.
The Oddball Team That Surprisingly Works
Pugh’s chemistry with David Harbour is the heartbeat of the film.
He’s back as Red Guardian—Yelena’s washed-up, gold-toothed, ex-super-soldier dad-figure who now runs a limo service and dishes out Eastern European one-liners. O
ne of his zingers to Yelena: “The light inside you is dim… even by Eastern European standards.”
It’s that mix of absurd and heartfelt that makes their scenes pop.
But the real twist here?
This movie doesn’t pretend trauma and mental health don’t matter.
It weaves those heavier themes in without losing its sense of humor, and that’s thanks to a sharp creative team—director Jake Schreier and writers Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.
A Villain with a Political Edge and a Secret Weapon
Enter Julia Louis-Dreyfus as CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a power-hungry, manipulative government boss with a flair for chaos.
Think Selina Meyer from Veep, but with deadlier intentions.
She’s on the brink of impeachment and willing to burn down anyone who might turn on her—literally and figuratively.
She targets her own band of misfits, the Thunderbolts, to wipe them out before they can testify.
The team includes a moody Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), hot-headed John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and the elusive Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).
Her plan?
Pit them against each other.
Spoiler: it backfires.
The gang bands together instead, leading to one of those over-the-top Marvel finales—this time in Manhattan, of course.
Buildings collapse, civilians flee, and chaos reigns.
But what gives the film extra bite is the mystery wildcard Valentina has up her sleeve involving a guy named Bob (Lewis Pullman), a tragic byproduct of a shady science experiment.
Silly, Yes—but Genuinely Fun
Sure, the whole thing’s ridiculous.
It’s a Marvel movie, after all. But it’s the good kind of ridiculous—self-aware, energetic, and way more fun than expected.
Thunderbolts walks that tricky tightrope between being too goofy and way too serious.
Where some superhero flicks buckle under the pressure to be meaningful or funny, this one pulls off both without feeling forced.
So… Can Thunderbolts Bring the MCU Back?
It’s no secret that Marvel’s been in a bit of a slump lately.
Critics are yawning, fans are drifting, and box office numbers have lost their sparkle.
But Thunderbolts could be the jolt the franchise needs.
Florence Pugh brings star power, heart, and comic timing that breathe life into the story.
And even though that asterisk in the title might make you roll your eyes, this ragtag team might just restore a bit of the MCU magic.
The real question now is—can they turn all that buzz into box office gold?
We’ll find out soon enough.