Thunderbolts is the last film of MCU’s Phase 5, and it is based on a misfit anti-hero team. There was little excitement for the film from the beginning, but when it was seen, it surprised at some points.
What’s good:
- The character of Sentry (Bob) is a highlight of the film – tremendous power and screen presence.
- The dark themes touch serious topics like mental health and loneliness – somewhat effectively.
- The team dynamic gives a Guardians-like feel, but in a more grounded way.
- The action sound design and some sequences felt quite effective.
- The post-credit scenes take the story forward.
What is weak:
- The first half is slow – more exposition, less action.
- Some characters don’t get the required screen time.
- Villains like Voyeur are used only metaphorically.
- The interval spot is placed at a very bad place for India.
- The trailer had already spoiled some surprises.
What is Valentina’s hidden agenda?
- Valentina is actually a leader who wants to bring superheroes under government control by creating a team like the Thunderbolts.
- She works for the U.S. government, but her intentions don’t seem to be entirely in the best interests of the country—her plans are clearly based on manipulation, blackmail, and control.
- In Black Widow, she turned Yelena against Hawkeye, and now in Thunderbolts, she’s using Bucky and the rest of the team.
MCU’s big game: Valentina vs Nick Fury?
- Nick Fury was the one who brought the Avengers together to protect Earth.
- But Valentina? She assembles a team of anti-heroes like the Thunderbolts and sends them on missions—with no ethics!
- The MCU is slowly showing us that there could be a big Fury vs. Valentina showdown in the future—perhaps before Secret Wars!
Simple example of manipulation in Thunderbolts:
- In the film, when the team is sent on a mission and the real purpose turns out to be something else (like retrieving or saving an old villain instead of killing him) – it is revealed that Valentina is manipulating everyone emotionally and psychologically.
- Her plan is not just to complete the mission, but to keep the entire team under her control.
Will Valentina become the next Big Villain of MCU?
- She doesn’t have to be a superpowerful villain like Thanos, but the MCU is moving more toward political and psychological villains.
- Valentina’s approach is subtle—she wants to manipulate the world with a controllable team like the Thunderbolts, by eliminating teams like the Avengers.
3/5 – Thunderbolts is one of the better efforts in the MCU’s recent projects, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.