Hollywood sucks. Or at least, that’s what my inner self has been telling me for the past year every time I think about writing something on a current and popular production. Fact is, I just skipped some of the buzz-worthy films altogether. Fact is, I simply didn’t find the time, or the will, to share my thoughts on the ones I actually did watch. Fact is, though, that this blog still exists, I’m still maintaining it one way or another, and it’s been a year (or even more) since my last “review”. But let’s not stray from the topic. In short, what I wanted to say is that it was time to watch something that’s actually worth two cents of my time and give you a little more material for discussion.
And yes, we’re back on the Marvel topic (as usual, really, but lately that’s been the only thing I’ve been going out to see in theatres for one reason or another), and yes, I saw “Captain America: Brave New World”, but I deliberately didn’t write about it, because it didn’t really deserve much attention (if any at all). And yes, strange as it may sound, today we’ll be taking a look at what’s perhaps one of the least anticipated projects in the MCU in terms of characters, but as it turns out – possibly one of the most pivotal for the future of the universe. Also, I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but even Marvel themselves, literally less than a week after the premiere, revealed things that some might consider spoilers (though technically, they aren’t exactly), so I’m going to take a similar approach. I’ll assume you’ve already watched the film (if you had even the slightest interest in it) and I’ll share thoughts on the characters and events as they unfold in the movie without going too deep into details.
This is Bob. Bob’s in his pyjamas and it’s his first time here, but he’s already doing a better job than all the superheroes. Be like Bob.
A lot of people will probably draw parallels with “(The) Suicide Squad” – and that makes sense, at least to the extent that these are the characters in DC equivalent to those which we’ll be talking about today. Now, when it comes to comparisons with David Ayer’s version – there’s really nothing to discuss (I think we all agree Marvel’s take is the better one, or at least I do). But when it comes to James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” – and keep in mind, his work is still my favourite series in the entire MCU – that opens the door to a lot more debate. Even I’m not totally sure which way the scales tip there. But honestly, there’s no real point in comparing the two. I just wanted to throw it out there, since it’s something some critics love to focus on, even if it doesn’t really add much to the conversation.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand – what with all the strikes, reshoots, and changes to Marvel’s plans after various actor-related scandals (which, let’s face it, more or less reshaped the entire look and future of the MCU), the script and several subplots have gone through some pretty big changes. Some parts even got scrapped altogether, and that definitely had an impact on the final story. That said, I’ve got to give it to Jake Schreier – despite everything, he clearly understands the characters and the world he’s working with. He’s managed to pull together a ragtag bunch of “grey area” characters (and let’s be real – mostly secondary, ignored, or flat-out disliked ones in previous outings) and actually give them enough identity and weight to make them matter.
The idea alone is cool, that Florence Pugh insisted on having a scene where she jumps off a tall building, and she actually got it – even if, in reality, those shots don’t add anything to the story or her character.
The result? He and his team give us a fully self-aware (though possibly intermediate – only time will tell) line-up designed to fill the void left by the “retirement” of the Avengers and the slow assembly of new ones (and let’s be honest – no one’s really sure yet how well the Young Avengers will turn out). Sure, this bunch comes with its own share of baggage, whether physical (yeah, Taskmaster, I’m looking at you) or psychological (which, let’s face it, applies to pretty much everyone else to some degree), but considering their mostly forgotten appearances in not-so-memorable films, getting some actual spotlight definitely brightens up their otherwise grim, antiheroic facades.
And speaking of the script and Taskmaster – let’s talk about the elephant in the room, namely Olga Kurylenko’s character. I don’t know about you, but I’m torn. On one hand, arguably one of Marvel’s most popular villains was already reduced to one of the dullest and most botched back in “Black Widow”, so her single line and blink-and-you-miss-it appearance here kind of feel par for the course – totally expected, especially considering how Kevin Feige & co. have treated the character so far. And let’s be real – the recent trailers, posters, info drops, you name it – didn’t exactly raise hopes in that department. But on the other hand – come on. Did they really have to write off the copycat that quickly and disrespectfully? I get why Olga doesn’t exactly look thrilled in the official photos next to everyone else, but the fanboy in me – and the comic book side of me too – just doesn’t understand why the masked villain got brushed aside so casually. Especially when the whole “shock value” of their early exit didn’t actually carry any weight in the plot (and judging by how things look, maybe not even in future plots – but hey, as the saying goes, if you don’t see a body, anything’s possible).
Even though the end result wasn’t exactly on par with Thanos’ snap, trapping people inside their own shadows was still pretty striking – and kind of terrifying.
But enough dwelling on that dark topic – though actually, I did want to touch on this exact thing: the noticeably darker tone of the film compared to previous Marvel entries. Maybe “Daredevil” is the only thing that comes close – or even surpasses -“Thunderbolts*” in terms of mood and feel. And maybe that’s part of why I liked it so much. Like I hinted earlier, the film digs into some deeper, much more relevant themes – mental health issues, loneliness, despair – and the fact that it’s all presented in a way that can reach audiences of all ages makes the movie surprisingly accessible, relatable, and even – dare I say – educational. Schreier keeps the scale relatively small – no major characters showing up, no world-ending stakes. The whole thing mostly plays out in one neighbourhood of a single city, and whatever doesn’t happen there unfolds in another kind of psychological dimension. That really grounds the story, makes it more personal, and gives a lot more room for the characters to actually breathe and develop.
That being said, don’t expect anything mind-blowing when it comes to effects – especially not 3D stuff (although the city being overtaken by the void and the collateral damage caused by the other Void are definitely worth seeing on a big screen). Still, I’d say characters like John Walker (U.S. Agent) and Ava (Ghost) didn’t really get the development they deserved – aside from a couple of flashbacks and short bits of dialogue. Sure, we’ll probably see them again down the road, but after the underwhelming “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, I doubt they’ll change anyone’s opinion dramatically (apparently, if a Marvel title has more than one hero name in it, that’s a bad sign). And Bucky’s role? Honestly, not all that major or compelling either. We’ve definitely seen him in much better form (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, of course). It’s pretty clear he’s been brought in more as a setup for the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” and to kick off the action, rather than being a full-fledged character in his own right.
I haven’t forgotten about the sly fox Val either. And even though we didn’t get a ton of info about her or her motivations, I’ve got to admit – she’s way more interesting than most of the political faces we’ve seen so far. It’ll definitely be fun to see how “her” team fits in among a more elite company.
It’s an undeniable fact that the story really revolves around two main characters. Well, okay – let’s not forget Red Guardian, who brings that classic Marvel-style comic relief. Once again, he’s written really well, and the dialogues between him and White Widow (I’m just gonna keep calling her that, even if it’s never been officially used anywhere) are easily some of the funniest moments in the film. But the spotlight is firmly on Yelena and her rise – kind of as the leader and driving force behind this ragtag bunch of mercenaries. If Bucky is the starter pistol, then the new Black Widow is the engine of the story. And I’m genuinely glad Florence Pugh gets the screen time she needs to flesh out her character – even though this is already her third appearance. At times, the film even feels more like her solo story than a proper team-up, and honestly, it kind of works. With Scarlett Johansson out of the picture, her younger on-screen sister definitely manages to carry the weight and pressure on her shoulders. I’m really curious to see just how relevant she and her new squad will be in the upcoming “Fantastic Four: First Steps” (who are obviously showing up soon – and yeah, that ending scene basically spoiled the finale for us, but let’s be real, most of us probably knew or expected what will be coming after Galactus shows up), and in the new Avengers movie with Doctor Doom.
But the real show-stealer is Bob. Just … Bob. When they first announced Steven Yeun was going to play the role, I was hyped I’ve liked him since “The Walking Dead”, and he’s fantastic in “Invincible”. But hey, I guess one overpowered superhero is enough, and I haven’t watched “Mickey 17” yet (which is supposedly the reason he dropped out of “Thunderbolts”), but I can’t deny that Lewis Pullman absolutely nailed it. His (bi? tri?)polar disorder gives us three completely different personas. If The Void is the literal embodiment of emptiness, self-isolation, and depression and if The Sentry is Marvel’s own Superman with a full-blown god complex who tosses super soldiers around like ragdolls, then Bob is easily the most refreshing and watchable of the bunch – a recently introduced character who already feels iconic. And if nothing else, he’s got one of the most memorable origin stories and one of the clearest depictions of the nature and scale of his powers. And the best part? We’ll be seeing him again, and it looks like we’re headed for an absolutely epic clash of the titans next year (fingers crossed!).
And to wrap things up, here’s a scene you won’t see in the movie (or at least not exactly), for obvious reasons – but it still gives a pretty good visual hint at what the AvengerZ end up looking like.
I’ve gone on way too long again, I know – but considering everything above, I just want to say this: don’t sleep on “The New Avengers”… I mean, “Thunderbolts*” (with or without the asterisk). Honestly, I straight-up recommend it. Sure, we can’t exactly call it a “small” or “modest” production, budget-wise – but this time around, I genuinely felt like the money was spent where it mattered, not on unnecessary CGI that gets five minutes of screen time and then disappears. And in today’s flood of high-budget flops from Hollywood, that alone is enough of a win. Speaking of the asterisk in the title – yeah, I mentioned this back at the beginning, but it really does feel like Marvel pulled off a clever little marketing stunt with that. Was it necessary? For me, not really. It doesn’t spoil anything major in terms of plot, but the actual twist at the end would’ve been a pretty solid surprise – and instead, it got intentionally flattened in the name of clickbait and hype.
And even with that said, Jake Schreier’s film is without a doubt one of the best things to come out of Phase 5 of the MCU (not that it had that much competition, to be fair). And it’s actually a milestone too, since it marks the end of that phase. I just really hope that what happens here doesn’t end up being yet another side quest Marvel quietly forgets about later. But judging by what we see – especially in the closing scenes – it looks like this team of temporary (maybe?) Avengers will leave a lasting mark, at least in this timeline. Only time will tell how much of the rumours and comic storylines will actually make it to the screen, but that doesn’t change the fact that “Thunderbolts*” is a step in the right direction. And if Marvel can maintain this level of quality (they’re already riding the hype train anyway), then we’ve got at least a few solid films to look forward to in the MCU.
