Review By J1 Reporter Hayden Blaney

Marvel is back. After a long run of unsuccessful movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally lived up to the pre-Avenger Endgame experience. Marvel’s Thunderbolts has brought hope back to the franchise. 

The newest movie in the Marvel Universe, Thunderbolts continues the story of Marvel’s heroes. Running two hours and six minutes, it is an exciting experience for teenagers, Marvel fans, or anyone looking for a good movie. If you’re an action fan, this movie’s for you. 

With a star-studded cast, the movie follows the story of outcasts Marvel fans have seen before. Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena, carries the film with flair and humor alongside David Harborer who plays her father, Alexi. They are joined by familiars Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russel), and Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), and the new addition, Bob (Lewis Pullman). 

The action scenes are perhaps the crowning jewel of the film. With sequences plentiful throughout, they give the audience a thrilling ride while furthering the plot. Thunderbolts is your classic found family movie, with the formation of a team of characters who have nothing to lose. Trying to stop Valentina Allegra du Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) from creating a global crisis, the characters band together to form an unlikely team. Faced with a supervillain called The Void (Lewis Pullman), the team is thrown into both physical and mental battles. Not only does the movie create an entertaining story on its own, it sets up future movies for the franchise that excite both the original fans and first time viewers. 

Thunderbolts does an excellent job not only creating an exciting story, it is able to send a message without distracting from the story. Woven into the plot is the message that mental health matters. The movie professionally uses the dynamic between the characters of Bob and Yelena to show that one person can make all the difference for someone else’s mental health. Through cinematic storytelling, the audience is hit with an important lesson: you are never alone. 

Thunderbolts feels like a classic Marvel movie. Head down to your local movie theater, grab some popcorn, and don’t miss the best Marvel movie since Avengers Endgame.