Another month, another Marvel movie. May 1st has brought us Thunderbolts*, a story of sub-heroes (or villains?) that must join forces to defeat an even greater evil and save the world. Sound familiar? It should.
In all seriousness, I had a decent time with this movie, more than I expected. Thunderbolts* retains some of the MCU’s staleness and awkward humor, but it offers more than that. The characters have chemistry, the cinematography is a bit more bold and the movie feels more like a genuine creative effort, without obsessing over world-building or selling toys. Thunderbolts* takes some time to actually explore some of the darker aspects of the main characters all while making them a team you truly do want to root for. Thunderbolts* isn’t afraid to touch on some of the more uncomfortable topics and that’s okay. This team-up opens up to some more possibilities with these lesser-known characters which is always nice. Overall, Thunderbolts* stands out against some of the more generic Marvel films with its tone, slower burn, and more isolated storytelling.
I personally had no interest in most of these characters before seeing this movie, but I am happy to say that I look forward to seeing them more in the future. To answer the question stated in the title: Am I a bit more excited to see where the MCU is going? I’d say yes, for the time being.