After Deadpool & Wolverine’s Drug Rule, I’m So Surprised With How Much Thunderbolts* Delves Into Them

Considering how ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine established a strict drug rule in the MCU, Thunderbolts* certainly delves into the theme quite a lot. This is even though Thunderbolts* is a PG-13-rated movie, like most other mainline MCU installments, meaning it doesn’t include nearly as much violence or swearing as ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. Also, unlike ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, it doesn’t look to be on course to gross $1 billion worldwide, despite Thunderbolts* earning rave reviews so far from critics and audiences alike.

Most of these reviews praise the performances given by the talented cast, though it is possibly because they are portraying mostly lesser-known characters that Thunderbolts* won’t appeal to as wide an audience. Nevertheless, Thunderbolts* does a fantastic job of catapulting these characters to superstardom, portraying them to be among the MCU’s most flawed and relatable superheroes. Dealing with themes of mental health is highly conducive in this regard, and it’s also while tackling these themes that Thunderbolts* doesn’t shy away from delving into drug use.

The MCU Avoided Delving Too Much Into Drug References Until More Recent Releases

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine And Daredevil: Born Again Talk About Drugs

Given the MCU is mostly constrained to PG-13 ratings, it’s no real surprise that drugs aren’t a common topic throughout its movies. The mostly family-friendly atmosphere isn’t exactly conducive to the topic, even if substance abuse is an established part of certain heroes’ comic book lore, like Iron Man’s alcoholism. Instead, such themes of alcohol or drug use were mainly confined to TV-MA-rated shows like Jessica Jones, which, at the time, was only tentatively part of MCU canon until the entire Defenders Saga was recently confirmed to be canon to the franchise.

While both of these R-rated installments aren’t surprising platforms for such topics, it’s rather shocking to see drugs mentioned yet again in Thunderbolts*.

It’s hard to recall any mention of drug use in mainline MCU installments until ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine featured an entire joke about it. The scene, which occurs early on in the movie, sees Al and Wade Wilson discuss taking cocaine before Wilson ᴀsserts that drug use was the one thing that Kevin Feige forbade as part of a fourth wall-break. Shawn Levy recently discussed this in an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, stating:

“That was an early one, and so was naming that the only rule we were given by Feige is no cocaine…which is absolutely a fact. Early on, Kevin was like, ‘Look, we want a fully ‘ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movie. The only thing maybe is, maybe we don’t do all the drug use, the cocaine use with Al and Wade. And we were like ‘Yes sir, yep, copy that,’ and we went home and literally wrote the joke about Feige requesting no cocaine, and it became one of the first jokes that we wrote.”

Under one year later, drugs were once again featured in a high-profile MCU installment. Daredevil: Born Again episode 3 not only mentions the drug addiction of one character, Matt Murdock’s star witness, Nicky Torres, but also depicts a bag of white powder on screen, thereby flouting the supposed rules laid down by Kevin Feige for ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. While both of these R-rated MCU installments aren’t surprising platforms for such topics, it’s rather shocking to see drugs mentioned yet again in Thunderbolts*.

Thunderbolts* Focuses On Sentry’s Past With Drug Addiction As A Central Part Of Its Story

Bob Reynolds Admits To Using Meth In The Past

Bob is introduced in the first act of Thunderbolts* as a bewildered victim of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s clandestine Project Sentry with a decidedly dark past. It’s during this introduction that Bob reveals that he suffered from a drug addiction – specifically meth. Bob’s meth addiction was established as something especially prevalent when he had a job spinning a sign while dressed as a chicken, which directly set up one of the funniest moments in Thunderbolts* as this period of his life comprises one of Bob’s shame rooms.

Thunderbolts* additionally addresses Yelena’s problem with drinking as a coping mechanism, showing her pᴀssed out with a half-empty bottle of vodka in one of her shame room encounters.

Of course, Thunderbolts* never depicts meth or Bob’s use of it, even obscuring his face behind his chicken suit when showing him at a time when he was using it. Nevertheless, this feels like the first time that Marvel Studios has been so straightforward about substance abuse in a PG-13-rated production alongside the outright naming of a specific drug, instead of a more nebulous reference to drugs in general. To be honest, I’m glad that Marvel is opening up to this concept, especially when tackling the drawbacks, as it shows the franchise is generally maturing.

Why Thunderbolts* Features So Many References To Bob’s History With Drugs

Drug Addiction Is An Important Part Of Robert Reynolds’ Marvel Comics Story

I’m also glad that Thunderbolts* didn’t shy away from this comic-accurate adaptation of Bob’s character. In Marvel Comics, drugs play a pivotal role in Robert Reynolds’ transformation into Sentry, as he only imbibes the Golden Sentry Serum because he believes it will give him some kind of high. Even without adapting these events to the letter, however, it was still important for Marvel Studios to convey Bob’s addiction, as it isn’t just a defining part of his character in the comics, but helps to define Bob in the MCU as distinct from other superheroes.

It is also indicative of Thunderbolts* general apтιтude in dealing with mature themes. The general motif of poor mental health and unhealthy coping mechanisms helps to make Thunderbolts* as acclaimed as it is, and dealing with the ill effects of drug addiction is an opportune way of developing these themes. While I don’t expect future MCU installments

Thunderbolts* felt like the most apt stage.