The latest story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally arrived, and Thunderbolts* is leaving many audiences with a great deal to think about. After the ending of Thunderbolts*, the characters and the events have changed significantly. Exploring the film’s complicated themes plays into this in a big way. Among several Thunderbolts* Easter Eggs, the movie did a great job telling an isolated yet important story about characters who have some significant flaws and weaknesses.
Following the post-credits scenes shared in Thunderbolts*, the film seems to be setting up for Avengers: Doomsday. A potential Thunderbolts* 2 seems unlikely immediately, as the characters will already be among the most dominant forces in Doomsday. With such great threats to face in the MCU, these excellent heroes have shown that they have a great deal of heart, and that heart may wind up being the most important thing that a person could ever have.
Thunderbolts* Is An Allegory About Mental Health
The New Marvel Film Explores Themes Of Isolation And Struggle
The new Marvel movie Thunderbolts* tells a surprising story about mental health. In the film, Bob struggles with addiction and with many issues pertaining to his self-image and experience of the world. When he is gifted with some of the greatest powers in the world, they are susceptible to his darker struggles with mental health. This manifests in the Void, which quickly destroys the people it touches, turning them into a dark splatter of shadow.
The Void is a part of Bob’s experience of his powers, but it is also something that he does not want to control him.
In the film, the Void is q place of fear, and it is also a place of safety for Bob. Near the film’s end, Yelena finds Bob hiding away inside the Void in what he feels is the safest room. From there, the film continues into an unusual climax, seeing the threat of the Void defeated with the powers of will and connection. The Void is a part of Bob’s experience of his powers, but it is also something that he does not want to control him. It becomes clear that the character must find safety within himself.
Featuring a superhero like Sentry in the film is such an interesting choice. While Bob is dressed up like a hero, and while his powers are certainly incredible, it’s so interesting to see a hero with such a horrible weakness. Making the film, and this character’s vulnerability about mental health, is such an interesting way to allow the film to connect even more greatly with audiences. There is a lot of human experience that can be found inside the character of Bob.
The Message Of Thunderbolts* Explained
Thunderbolts* Is About Building Community
Thunderbolts* is a movie about the importance of community. The Thunderbolts* cast is made up of broken characters who have struggled in one way or another. Several members of the team, including Bucky, Yelena, and Taskmaster, have been brainwashed and manipulated as killers in the past. Others, like Red Guardian, have failed in their attempts to distinguish themselves and now live in great sadness. In their own way, each character contends with great shame over their past failures.
The film opens with Yelena lamenting the monotony of her life. It is clear that she carries great sadness, and that the loss of Natasha during the ending of Black Widow still weighs heavily upon her. Still, she uses all of this as a way to isolate herself, and this keeps her lost in these difficult feelings. When Valentina’s mission wound up bringing her together with these other characters, it inadvertently began to sew up an important wound that the character had been carrying.
Few of the others are exceptions to this. John Walker is contending with the departure of his wife and child after they left him. Bucky is dealing with what appears to be a very unsuccessful half-term in MCU’s congress. Each of these characters has messed things up, and it is important that the film be about putting them back together. Through this team, and the connections that they all foster between themselves, the film does a great job of building a community.
Why The Deeper Meaning Of Thunderbolts* Is So Important
The New MCU Team Is Full Of Relatable Characters
Mental health is an important part of the human experience, and it is something that everyone in the world has the capacity to struggle with. Seeing that idea explored in a superhero action movie, and seeing how those connections and difficulties can help to shape relationships, made for an incredibly fulfilling cinematic experience. Seeing powerful forces like the Void use these horrifying struggles can be unsettling, but seeing how it is fought against through connection is genuinely beautiful.
Seeing a big-budget 2025 comic book Marvel movie like this contend with such pervasive and real themes is so refreshing. Rather than a simple examination of heroes and villains, the new MCU film did a great job creating a team of relatable and authentic characters. As both a hero and a villain, Bob is incredibly relatable, and seeing how the team are able to save him is a beautiful way to shape a truly unusual ending for a comic book film.
The ending of Thunderbolts* saw a new team of heroes in the MCU, ready to take on the greatest threats in the universe. To prepare for this, the newest film gave them each a great opportunity to explore their mental health. Seeing that looked into in such a deep and fulfilling way in a big-budget action film was so refreshing. It is very rewarding to know that Marvel is doing everything they can to build fulfilling, compelling, exciting, and authentic experiences from their excellent films.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
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May 1, 2026
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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