Thunderbolts (2025): Marvel’s Most Human and Visually Striking Story Yet

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been known for its thrilling action sequences, larger-than-life heroes, and witty banter. But with Thunderbolts (2025), Marvel takes a refreshingly grounded turn. This film focuses less on flashy battles and more on emotional depth, personal identity, and finding one’s place in a world that doesn’t always accept you.

Directed by Jake Schreier and beautifully shot by Andrew Droz Palermo, Thunderbolts introduces a team of misfits and outcasts who each carry deep emotional scars. These aren’t your typical superheroes—they’re flawed, haunted, and often unsure of their own purpose. And that’s what makes them so compelling.

Thunderbolts 2025

David Harbour returns as Red Guardian, bringing both humor and heartbreak to the role. His over-the-top moments provide comic relief, but his character's underlying pain—the sense of being a relic of a bygone era, forgotten and discarded—gives the story emotional weight. Once Russia’s answer to Captain America, he now grapples with a faded identity, clinging to past glory as the last time he felt truly alive.

Then there's Ava (Ghost), played by Hannah John-Kamen. Her character adds to the film’s sense of loneliness and alienation, further enriching the story's emotional tone.

Perhaps the standout performance comes from Lewis Pullman as Bob, also known as The Sentry. The film doesn’t shy away from sensitive topics like suicidal thoughts, depression, and isolation, and Pullman handles the material with care and authenticity. Instead of burying these themes under excessive CGI or forced humor—a criticism often directed at Marvel films—Thunderbolts lets these emotions breathe.