For all 17 years the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around, few Marvel Studios movies have explicitly tackled mental health with the depth and deftness of Thunderbolts*. Certainly, Iron Man 3 sees Tony Stark wrestling with PTSD from the events of The Avengers, Avengers: Endgame showed the toll of grief and depression on Thor, and Moon Knight told the story of a man living with dissociative idenтιтy disorder. But with the exception of Moon Knight, those MCU characters’ mental health was secondary to the plot of the project. In Thunderbolts*, mental health is the main story.

Although the Thunderbolts* cast is an ensemble, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is our entry point into this MCU project, which begins with her on a mission, wearing a pair of depression sweats, and discussing how she feels listless and without purpose. From there, Thunderbolts* introduces a whole cadre of Marvel characters with some of the most traumatic backstories in the franchise, and proceeds to tell a story about how community and connection are some of the most important tools to fight against depression and other mental health struggles.

I won’t give you any plaтιтudes about Thunderbolts* being the best depiction of mental health in the MCU, or in any movie, but one thing the film does very well is depict how messy and imperfect mental health can be. As simple as it might seem, sometimes all we really need is a reminder that we’re not alone, that there are people who care about us, and that the world wouldn’t necessarily be a better place without us in it. This is, at its heart, the message of Thunderbolts*; it’s one that deeply resonated with me, and hopefully will with many others.

However, while its depiction of mental health is at the center of the Thunderbolts* movie’s story and themes, it’s not the only aspect of the film that contributes to how well it works. The character dynamics are well-written and crackling with comedic and dramatic tension, the action scenes all deliver a wallop of both thrill and emotional impact, and the cast’s performances are some of the best of the MCU. All told, Thunderbolts* is a great, if somewhat messy and imperfect, MCU movie.

Florence Pugh & Lewis Pullman Steal The Show In Thunderbolts*

The Team-Up Movie Has A Couple Of Stand-Out Stars

Although Thunderbolts* is technically a team-up Marvel movie, the story is really about Yelena and the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman), with the others serving as supporting characters in the central plot. I’ll be honest, I was disappointed that Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who’s been playing a supporting character in the MCU for almost as long as the franchise has existed, was somewhat sidelined yet again, but I can’t deny that Pugh and Pullman are an incredibly strong leading duo.

Pugh, who has an Oscar nomination under her belt, is easily one of the best additions to the MCU since Avengers: Endgame, and giving her the spotlight in Thunderbolts* offered the talented actress a chance to shine. Her performance as Yelena is masterful, and it’s clear Pugh understands this character just as well as Stan does Bucky and Tom Hiddleston does Loki — both actors who have had far more time to construct and live in their characters. That, in and of itself, is a feat. But to make Yelena as relatable as she is in Thunderbolts* is simply wonderful.

Still, Thunderbolts* is a two-hander, and on the other hand is Pullman as Bob. He’s equal parts endearing and fascinating to watch as the mysterious character whose own tragic past unfolds throughout the film. His dynamic with Pugh’s Yelena is a high point of the movie, though I was also delighted by how well Pullman plays off of the other characters as well.

I’d be remiss without mentioning the rest of the talented Thunderbolts* cast. Wyatt Russell’s performance was a surprise for me, insofar as how much more I genuinely enjoyed his take on John Walker. David Harbour is great as the lovable Alexei Shostakov, aka Red Guardian. He brings much of the movie’s levity, but is also an emotional foil to Pugh’s Yelena in key moments. Like Stan, Hannah John-Kamen isn’t given much to work with, but both are enjoyable as their respective characters. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is also fantastic as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, bringing plenty of humor, even if she’s a bit one-dimensional.

Thunderbolts* Is An Entertaining & Enjoyable MCU Movie

The Film Tackles Heavy Topics But Never Becomes A Dour Slog

Much has been said about the MCU’s use of humor to balance the life-and-death stakes Marvel often includes in their movies, but I think Thunderbolts* might be the best example of how important levity is in making a movie with serious themes still be fun and delightful. The comedy and humor used in Thunderbolts* rarely, if ever, undercuts the seriousness of Yelena and Bob’s — and all the other characters’ — difficult feelings. It feels very much like a relief, like laughing when you need to cry.

All told, Thunderbolts* is both a quintessential Marvel movie and something more. At times, it almost felt like Thunderbolts* could be any movie about a group of rogue spies, but the fact that it included characters I’ve grown to love and care about made it all the more effective. As such, it’s the rare movie that can be appreciated by casual Marvel fans and diehards alike. It’s not quite an Avengers movie, since it’s darker and dirtier than those MCU films, but it’s a team-up worthy of watching and loving.

In a post-Endgame landscape that has been more than a little messy — with characters introduced and never returning, and the whole plan for the Multiverse Saga being scrapped midway through — Thunderbolts* is the Marvel movie the MCU needs right now. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it has a good heart, and features a great cast of characters who are the underdogs of the franchise — and who are bound to become fan-favorites (if they aren’t already). After Thunderbolts*, I’m more excited about the direction of the MCU than I have been in quite a while.