As many are well aware, following the release of “Avengers: Endgame,” there was much contention regarding the direction the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would go. After the death of the beloved genius, billionaire and philanthropist Tony Stark, as well as the end of Steve Rogers, fans were anxious to see who would take up the mantles, and who would make up the next big team.
Six years later, we finally have some sense of a strong unit due to the “Thunderbolts” movie: a new Avengers, one could say. This team, comprised of Yelena, Bucky, John Walker, Red Guardian, Ghost and Sentry, like that of the original Avengers, is chaotic, messy and not perfectly collaborative. There are disagreements, jealousy and anger, but there is also a strong connection — a force that pulls them together, driving them to work with one another towards a common goal. Just as with the original Avengers, these misfits have to learn to unite as they all share the desire to do good and save lives.
Where “Thunderbolts” went right, in ways that more recent MCU projects went wrong, was in its focus on the characters and their dynamics. While there was, as always, a potentially life-altering threat unraveling, the focus wasn’t on cool fight scenes and who could punch hardest. Rather, the movie was about confronting yourself and helping those you love to do the same. It chose to tackle an interesting subject, which is something we saw in MCU projects before “Endgame.” In the Iron Man trilogy, we see a focus on mental health and complex internal battles, which carries over into the Avengers movies. We see intriguing topics in the Captain America movies as well, specifically with Bucky Barnes and “The Winter Soldier.” The exploration of these inherently interesting characters and their dynamics with those around them is what drew audiences in, and the hope for more films to do the same is what keeps audiences returning.
Thunderbolts managed to catch onto this core, although it wasn’t done perfectly. Certainly, it isn’t comparable to “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the best Marvel movie. For one thing, there wasn’t nearly enough of Bucky in this movie, and it’s clear Marvel wasn’t quite sure what to do with his character, because he had been so heavily tied to Steve Rogers. Also, they arguably leaned too hard on the character of Bob, who’s both the villain and the newest character introduced in the film. The movie gave us some depth regarding his character and his background — we’re made to understand that he’s a vulnerable man with a dark past, which gives his character a lot of potential. However, I felt that his silliness, which many seemed to like, was a bit over the top.
Regardless, “Thunderbolts” recognized the importance of creating flawed, intriguing and likable characters, an aspect that seemed to fall to the wayside in the more recent MCU films. Instead, the scale of the threat seemed to be at the forefront of the creators’ minds. In reality, what hooks viewers is interesting characters. Had the filmmakers deciding the fate of the MCU watched more “House M.D,” for instance, they would have sooner come to the realization that audiences want relatable, compelling and fascinating characters. While the superpowers and fight scenes are cool, like the medical cases in “House M.D,” the draw is from the characters.
Thunderbolts even managed to make me like John Walker, something I couldn’t fathom following his introduction in the series “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.” Walker’s introduction in the series was one of a man not suited to be a leader. He seemed to care more about proving himself as worthy of taking on the mantle of Captain America than doing what was right. He was inclined to follow whatever orders he was given, something that Steve Rogers refused to do, opting instead to do what he believed was right. In “Thunderbolts,” there is an emphasis on Walker growing as a person, recognizing his own faults and seeming to work on them. They didn’t magically remove his flaws, but they focused on his strengths, like his reflex to protect his fellow team members (like when he jumps in front of Bucky to protect him). They also dove deeper into his unlikable traits, such as his cockiness, which in the film is shown to be a result of insecurity rather than a belief that he’s better than everyone. Like the original Avengers, however, each character was introduced as flawed but ultimately lovable as they wanted to do the right thing, and their flaws only made them seem human.
Ultimately, “Thunderbolts” is a step in the right direction for Marvel. The movie focused on the core of character-driven storytelling, exploring the characters and the dynamics between them, as opposed to simply building the plot around saving the world. The plot itself was new and intriguing, and I liked the focus on characters and their pasts.