Thunderbolts MCU Movie - Funny, Scary, and Entertaining

Most movies from the MCU have been either disappointing or straight up bad, but the Thunderbolts MCU movie breaks this terrible streak with a simple plot and great execution. This movie has an awesome cast with solid backstories, and have used special effects and plotlines in a terrifying way by drawing from real life. It's good, watch it!

TMJ Rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿/ 5

The Plot of the Thunderbolts MCU Movie

The Thunderbolts MCU Movie picks up where Brave New World ends and around 2027. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played surprisingly well by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as the Director of CIA, is trying to erase all her mistakes by letting those resources kill each other off by turning them on each other. This includes Yelena Bulova, Taskmaster, Ghost ( Ava ), and Agent 42/John Walker.

But instead of killing each other off, they, along with a random innocent named Bob, team up to confront Valentina. Next, Bucky enters the picture, becomes part of the team, and they begin to face something or someone a lot more powerful than all of them combined.

I like the fan service they've done where everyone in the team gets into a lift, such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine ( 2009 ), The Avengers ( 2012 ), and The Defenders ( 2017 ).

Anyone who has been a fan of the comedic series Brooklyn Nine-Nine will find a delightful tribute to one of the central characters on the show. They even used a person who cameoed on the series to play the role of the character who paid an awesome tribute to the series. I loved it. It will be a pleasant surprise when you hear the name of the character and see the person playing him!

Watching The Thunderbolts Movie When it Rained Outside

On the way to the theater to watch The New Avengers, I experienced three different weather conditions within 6 km! My car's battery was dead, so I had to take a cab, which was all well and good until we hit the highway and it started to drizzle within the first two km on the way.

The third kilometer saw us hitting a patch of heavy rain, and in a few minutes, we were right in the middle of a full-on lightning thunderstorm. I actually had to tell the cab driver to switch on the hazard lights and change the AC airflow towards the windshield to keep it clear.

After the 5th kilometer, the rain stopped, and the road was bone-dry. I basically experienced three completely different weather zones within too small a region for it to be natural. What I'm referring to is that climate change is global now, and my city, Bengaluru, which used to be a hill station, has desert-like extreme weather patterns.

Yesterday ( 14th May 2025 ), I was out on the same route, and this time the weather zones were even smaller, with patches of the journey with intense thunderstorms and lashing rain, some gaps within THOSE weather zones being as small as a few hundred meters ( you might argue it is cloud cover and size, but still! ). The entire 6 to 8 km stretch had alternating storm, rain, and dry zones, which is a horrific way to be reminded of climate change and how it is no longer happening somewhere far away but right where I live.

The Funny Parts

David Harbor as Alexei Shostakov leads the charge when it comes to cringeworthy dad jokes that are so bad that they're good. Also, there is great on-screen chemistry between the main cast members.

Florence Pugh as Yelena Bulova whips her teammates with her funny, passive-aggressive quips, which hide a lot of pain. Then there is Bob, who may or may not be Sentry, who again may or may not be the savior of Earth or its Doom!

The banter between the Thunderbolts team flows freely and is fun to watch.

The Scary Parts

Every single psychological issue that is either directly or indirectly referenced in this movie is terrifying. Any experienced psychologist would be in shock over how casually they reference serious childhood trauma, PTSD, DID, anxiety and panic attacks, and so much more.

There is one particular scene in a major fight where Inception meets real-life mental health illnesses, seeing people trapped in their own trauma, stress, and other terrible stuff. I would like to interpret that particular scene in various ways, in which people remain trapped in their own heads, and how some people try to heal by embracing the darker parts of their lives, personalities, and actions. But I have a feeling most fans will just brush this aside, and that is fine, but I like that the MCU has at least indirectly tried to explore mental health awareness in a roundabout way.

Also, one of the special effects used in the movie is eerie and maybe even ethically questionable when a super-powered entity vaporizes people into mere shadows. While the effects approach used being unethical may just be my opinion, it is super spooky for sure. It is based on the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where thousands of people were killed instantly when they were vaporized by the absorbed heat and radiation, which left a negative imprint on the ground that looks like a shadow. Scary stuff.

One scene that I feel is simple and effective is the distinction between the Ego and the Id within a person, which is the conscious and the unconscious parts of a person's mind and personality. Yelena Bulova walks right into a strange, all-consuming darkness, It feels like she is exploring the darker parts of her mind for her Id to emerge stronger.

The depiction of the Ego and the Id within a person is more complex and layered than in the movie literally referencing The Shadow aspect of a person's mind or the Id where Alec Baldwin plays The Shadow. However, the timeless sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet explains the concept of the ego and the Id, and why it is critical to explore and be aware of both parts of one's personality and mind.

One thing that has not changed in MCU movies off-late is that the villain is easy to spot, such as Valentina.

Why it's Entertaining

Great on-screen chemistry between the major cast members adds a lot to the plotline and makes this movie a really enjoyable watch. The action sequences, for the most part, are not gratuitous and organic, being essential to the plotline.

The depiction of the supervillain The Void is done in a simple manner, but it looks really good on screen.

The cinematography and special effects have been done well and used wisely in the Thunderbolts MCU movie, with those aspects being an aid to storytelling and not the story itself.

All the characters in this movie have substantial backstories, with their character motivations being fleshed out in detail. While the MCU can never duplicate the magic of Avengers: Endgame, I feel Kevin Feige finally has all his ducks in a row to give us another epic finale movie that MCU fans will talk about for years.

Should You Watch It? Yes!

The Thunderbolts MCU movie has action, substantial plot elements, and hints at a much bigger finale than last time. The MCU has told a simple story well this time, making it a fun watch and bringing hope to all MCU fans about future movies.

Written on 1st May 2025 and updated 15th May 2025