Can this power force keep up with the Avengers?
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the film universe around the Marvel comics, you quickly lose track. We are currently in the so-called fifth phase, which started in February 2023 with « Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania », the 31st film of the MCU, and is now graduating with the 36th film of the series, « Thunderbolts ».
In « Thunderbolts » the screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo make it easy for the already confused and completely overwhelmed cinema audience, because instead of introducing even more figures, they (of course also due to the comic template) use some known faces that have so far been in the shade, but now get more attention as a group.
See you again with the black widow
There would be Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, shown by the incredibly talented Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which was already shown in the series « The Falcon and the Winter Soldier » as well as in the films « Black Widow » and « Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ». She, as a director of the CIA, is in the middle of an office and tries to make possible evidence of her misery disappear.
The possible evidence or witnesses also include some superheroes that are attracted by de Fontaine into a trap. Only with difficulty can Yelena Belova alias Black Widow (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who initially fight each other.
As a more normal mortal, you quickly lose track of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The use of her new friend Bob (Lewis Pullmann) also contributes to the successful escape, who turns out to be an incredible skills as a superhero and finally becomes a threat. For all of humanity.
Together with the super soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and his Russian counterpart Alexei Shostakov (David Harbor), the so -called Thunderbolts, according to the unequal troop of fighters and superheroes, have to put the craft of their rescuers.
Like to hold the reins in your hand: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, right), the CIA boss threatened by the elevation. Photo: Marvel Entertainment
Fight, yes, you can, the Thunderbolts. But the glamor that made the Avengers shine so brightly is missing Yelena, Bucky and Co. They act like the second line -up of the planet’s best -known superhero group, only with more inconspicuous costumes and more muscle strength.
However, what the Thunderbolts have predicted to most Avengers: they are incredibly funny. Especially David Harbor as Alexei Shostakov and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine convince with their humorous talent. In addition, Florence Pugh, who gives the fighter Black Widow with a lot of depth and passion in front of the camera.
What the film lacks is a little more drive, possibly also some surprising twists.
What the film is unfortunately missing is a little more drive, possibly also some surprising twists, which the audience could captivate a little more in front of the screen. And even a little more extravagance would not have harmed the trough. You could do a little bit with the competition of DC, the « Suicide Squad ». With this weird troops, extravagance is the order of the day, so to speak.
Is a sequel to follow?
Whether there will be a sequel for the « Thunderbolts » will certainly be determined at the pick -up result. There are currently still costs of around $ 180 million on the output side. You have to pull them out of the superhero-saturated cinema audience.
Villars, Bonhoeffer and Ballet
Together on the screen, the group will be seen in 2026 at the latest: Then Bucky, Yelena and Co. meet Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and many new and old acquaintances from the Marvel universe in the second film of the sixth phase. The title: « Avengers: Doomsday ».
At the latest at this point, the box office is guaranteed to ring the bell. Even if only half of the visitors to the last Avengers blockbuster should get lost in a cinema room: « Endgame » in 2019 played around 2.8 billion US dollars and is currently the second film of all time.
