Are Thunderbolts* here to save Marvel?

It’s been a while since I’ve been genuinely excited to see a Marvel movie—and to be honest, Thunderbolts* wasn’t exactly something I’d been anticipating for years either. In fact, I only became interested after it had already been released, mostly because I have a huge girl-crush on Florence Pugh. So I went for Florence… and honestly, she delivered.

Marvel and I had a good run for many years. I kept up with the release schedule, saw every movie, and considered myself a casual fan. Not hardcore, but definitely invested enough to find something enjoyable even in the weaker entries.

Except Age of Ultron. I still hate that one. No defense from me there.

But then Endgame happened, and afterward, it all started to feel a bit overwhelming. The content just kept rolling out—no break, no breather. Suddenly, every character had their own show, and I wasn’t ready to commit that much time to keep up. I was officially Marveled out. I needed a pause.

Fast forward a few years, and along comes Thunderbolts* — somehow reigniting that old spark. No, I’m still not interested in going back to catch up on everything I missed. But I am more than happy to continue forward with the Thunderbolts*, who are (as the film reveals) essentially the new Avengers.

PS: You bet I’m gonna buy a blue eyeliner to create this makeup look!

As a team, I find the Thunderbolts* pretty compelling. Pugh’s Yelena is easily my favorite—she’s sharp, layered, and a total badass. The rest of the team didn’t quite hit the same note for me. Walker doesn’t do much for me, Bucky deserved more screen time, and Ghost felt barely developed at all.

But Bob? Bob was incredible. Complex, emotionally resonant, and so well acted. The villain’s reveal was also a standout moment—brilliantly handled. The third act as a whole impressed me: strong character work, a gripping story arc, and absolutely stunning visuals. It was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

There were a few laughs throughout the film—some landed, some didn’t—but you could tell the cast had a great time with it. And honestly, that matters. Even with high stakes, there’s room for fun. The humor was balanced well against the more serious themes, especially around depression and emotional trauma. I do hope that Ghost and Walker get more development in future installments, though. Right now, they feel more like background characters—Ghost in particular.

While Thunderbolts still follows the familiar Marvel formula, I think the incorporation of heavier emotional themes—especially around depression—gave it more weight. Hopefully, future films continue to build on that. With Bob still around, they kind of have to.

All in all, Thunderbolts gave me hope again—and, in a way, saved Marvel for me. Seeing it on the big screen brought back the nostalgia of watching past Marvel films in theaters. It reminded me why I fell in love with the franchise in the first place, and I’m cautiously optimistic that I can return to it now with a fresh perspective.