“I lost my sister again, but forever!” I shout into the void of those who still care about the Thunderbolts* film. Released in UK cinemas on 1 May 2025, the film not only introduces the so-called ‘New Avengers’ made up of anti-heroes but also explores Yelena Belova’s own journey of self-acceptance of who she is and what her traumatic past consisted of. And with its current arrival on Disney+ on August 27th, there is no other perfect time than this to bring back the discussion (and the hype) of Thunderbolts*.
The film’s cast in itself brings a level of hype that automatically comes with its stupendous star-power, including Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, and, of course, the legendary Julia Louis-Dreyfus. However, the actor who really made a lasting impression on audiences was Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds/Sentry— from his facial expressions and body language as the simple pedestrian Bob, to the Sentry “with the power of a thousand exploding suns,” and then to a full transformation of his character as the villainous Void. The powerful aura that radiates off Pullman’s Void acting is exceptional, as he stands confident in manner but also simultaneously melancholic in mood— this being further achieved through the CGI of the Void, with his all-in-black portrayal beside the two white slits where his eyes should be, fully taking away any sense of humanity that remained in him.
Whilst the film did somewhat feel like a quick introduction to the New Avengers team and was more of a bridge for the upcoming 2026 Avengers: Doomsday film, it did lay out the dynamics between the trope of the newfound family of “defective losers”. The film comprises of domestic, familial scenes like the Red Guardian and Bucky Barnes discussing their past as soldiers that had been injected with super serum, Yelena shouting “Are we there yet?” at the back of a truck, and the team settling down in their new home at The Watchtower (renamed from the original Avengers Tower) in the post-credits. It’s essential to mention the scene that trended the most on social media with the Thunderbolts climbing up a chute together as one, while also trying to stop Bob from sneezing by repeating “Cucumber, cucumber, cucumber”; this already being an evident sign that this chosen family will remain family for a long time (Director Jake Schreier, I beg that you don’t break up my my new comfort family!).
I need to comment on how much I love this current trend of 21st-century films having a focus on mental health, whilst not needing to push the idea onto audiences in their plot, as it’s apparent that this type of discussion is needed and should be pursued more by filmmakers. Once Yelena and Alexei had a heart-to-heart about Yelena’s struggles, and we were able to see Yelena’s traumatic past as she struggles to talk about it, I could hear multiple sniffles throughout the cinema’s audience (unashamedly, I may have also been tearing up too at the sight of Pugh’s iconic frown).
All in all, take this as a sign to watch the new Thunderbolts* on Disney+, because who wouldn’t want to see Florence Pugh in bright blue eyeshadow and her being the epitome of a ‘girlboss’ for 2 hours straight?
“Florence Pugh – The Wonder BFI London Film Festival Premiere, October 2022 (cropped)” by Raph_PH is licensed under CC BY 2.0.