Thunderbolts* is Marvel’s latest attempt at clawing out of an existential void
Marvel's movies have yet to stop being box office juggernauts, but in recent years focused on multiversal storytelling, the studio's interconnected cinematic franchise has often felt adrift and unfocused. Rather than working as films that can stand on their own, the MCU's recent crossover features have generally resulted in dangling threads, like they're all just previews for the next big blockbuster.
Thunderbolts*, Marvel's new movie from director Jake Schreier, is not a one-shot solution to all of the MCU's recent woes, but in it, you can very plainly see the studio trying to reckon with the fact that things have gone a bit off the rails. Though its story dabbles in reflections about grief, it's mostly a straightforward action flick. At times, Thunderbolts* - the asterisk is actually kind of important - almost plays like a Marvel feature from a decade ago in terms of how simply it unfolds. But even though its flashy set pieces are familiar and its twists are very predictable, its leanness and commitment to bringing things down to earth is a mildly refreshing change of pace.
Set almost immediately after Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* brings back a number of vil ...