As far as movies go, Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the very definition of a mixed bag. But, thankfully, its newest installment (the final film of the Phase), Thunderbolts*, skews far more Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or Deadpool & Wolverine than Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania or Captain America: Brave New World. It’s one of the universe’s most emotionally ambitious films in a while and, while it isn’t quite a top-tier film of the cinematic universe as a whole, it’s certainly a sign that the MCU, with its dwindling popularity and more frequent “Rotten” scores on Rotten Tomatoes, is on track for a course correction.
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But like with any Marvel team-up movie, some characters pop more than others. This comes down to two factors: the screenplay and the performances. Which Thunderbolts* character is put to the best use? Let’s find out.
WARNING: Spoilers for Thunderbolts* follow.
9) Taskmaster
Taskmaster’s death has got to be the worst-kept secret in the history of the MCU. Marvel themselves basically confirmed it when most of the Thunderbolts* cast was announced for Avengers: Doomsday and, of the team members, only Olga Kurylenko’s name was absent. In fact, Taskmaster may very well be the most wasted fan-favorite character in the history of the franchise.
And, in Thunderbolts*, she really is wasted. She’s in exactly one scene and Kurylenko is given exactly one line. It’s a shame because Kurylenko has always been an underappreciated performer and Taskmaster is a neat character. They both deserved better.
8) The Winter Soldier
Maybe it’s because he’s been in nine MCU movies and a show by this point, but Thunderbolts* doesn’t seem particularly interested in giving Bucky Barnes much to do. And, fair enough. It’s more a chance to catch up with Yelena, Red Guardian, John Walker, and Ghost than it is to see the continued adventures of Mr. Barnes.
The MCU has never seemed to be 100% sure what to do with the Winter Soldier. He went from friend to suped-up antagonist to, for all of two seconds, the White Wolf, then back to the Winter Soldier, and now a politician moonlighting as the Winter Soldier. Is Bucky essentially the leader of the Thunderbolts (or New Avengers)? Sure, tied for first with Yelena. But in this movie at least, there are other characters who receive more narrative focus.
7) Mel
Geraldine Viswanathan was a huge get for the MCU and the MCU was a huge get for her. As seen in movies like Blockers and Drive-Away Dolls, she’s a stone-cold natural with deadpan comedy and, when need be, she can sell a script’s emotional moments with considerable profundity. Here’s hoping they keep her around and expand her character. And, considering her comic book counterpart turned into a villain then an official member of the Thunderbolts, that seems likely.
In fact, the groundwork is already set for that. Right now, she’s working for a villain, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. But she doesn’t feel too great about that. She’s even feeding Barnes information secretly, but she also saves Fontaine from the Sentry (turning him into the Void) — so right now she’s playing both sides.
6) Ghost
There are two reasons Ghost ranks below the next entry here. One is that U.S. Agent gets a Sentry-induced vision of his greatest regret and Ghost doesn’t. Two, as a character, he develops a bit more from the first act to the third.
But Ghost is the one who kills Taskmaster, and because of that, she shares a brief but poignant scene with Yelena. Like John Walker, Ava Starr / Ghost is a mid-tier member of the group, far more active than Taskmaster but not given as meaty a role as Yelena or even Red Guardian. That said, she’s an important member of the group nonetheless, and one of the bravest. After Yelena enters the shadow realm to confront Bob, and the remainder follow to save her, the first one of the group we see throw a punch is Ghost. It’s been seven years since we’ve last seen Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost (one of the MCU’s more underappreciated, interesting villains), and it’s good to see her again and know we’ll see even more.
5) U.S. Agent
Again, Walker only ranks above Ghost for two reasons. We see that he’s a jerk, always being a bully to Bob, but we also learn why he’s a jerk, thanks to his shared vision with Bob. Like Bob, we as the audience find out that Walker has been an absentee father.
But, by film’s end, after facing down The Void, Walker has lightened up a bit. He’s even (slightly) less arrogant. That’s a character arc, which is something that isn’t given to Ghost. Though, to be fair, she didn’t quite need it as much.
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4) Red Guardian
A character who is looking for something more and gets it is always compelling. That’s only amplified when the actor portraying the character is the ever-charming David Harbour. It’s what his Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian was looking for in Black Widow, and it’s what he’s still looking for here in Thunderbolts*.
By the end of Black Widow, he had gotten that “something more.” It’s just, instead of fame and glory, it was a reunification with the family he didn’t appreciate when he had the chance. And, as Thunderbolts* reveals, he sort of dropped the ball on that one again when Yelena lost Natasha. But we also see him show remorse for that, and it’s really here where he and Yelena truly become father and daughter. Not to mention, Red Guardian is the sometimes-dour film’s comedic heartbeat, so Harbour and the character really do serve multiple integral purposes.
3) Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Devious, fully human antagonists are one of the MCU’s secret strong suits. They’re far more compelling than Dark Elves or Stark-produced robots. For instance, Iron Man 2‘s Justin Hammer and Senator Stern or Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s Alexander Pierce. But the best is now officially Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
For those who grew up watching Seinfeld, it’s always been obvious that Louis-Dreyfus is a force of nature. Then, after a few decades and sitcoms with medium-sized fan bases at best, it seemed like she was mostly going to be known as a ’90s icon. But then Veep rolled around, showing a whole new side to her talent. And now, she’s a full-on MCU recurring villain. And after smaller appearances in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Black Widow, she really gets a chance to shine in Thunderbolts*. Louis-Dreyfus infuses de Fontaine with the exact wry, arrogant charm the character needed. She’ll do anything to stay out of prison, and Louis-Dreyfus makes us believe not only that, but also that she’s capable of staying a free woman (even though, as Yelena tells her, the “New Avengers” now own her).
2) Bob / The Sentry / The Void
Lewis Pullman got to display his range in Bad Times at the El Royale, but Thunderbolts* serves as an outright showcase for the actor. He plays not one but three characters. There’s the reserved, nervous, and troubled Bob, The Sentry (who is like Vision in that he’s all-powerful yet learning what this new life really is), and The Void, the physical embodiment of great regret and depression.
The Void is the best villain of Phase 5 because he (or it, depending on how you look at it) is entirely unlike anything that has come before. He’s the exact antagonist this particular group of lost soul characters needed to fight in order to come together as a cohesive unit. Yet, it’s still Bob who gets the most screentime and, rightly so, because he’s one of the more lovable MCU characters to debut in quite some time.
1) Yelena Belova
Thunderbolts* serves as a follow-up to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Captain America: Brave New World. But what it is, really, is Black Widow 2. It’s Florence Pugh and Yelena Belova’s movie all the way. She’s the first character we see, it’s her internal monologue we hear, and, as could be expected, Pugh just runs away with the movie.
Some critics have criticized Thunderbolts* for turning Yelena into a sad sack. But, yeah, of course she is. She lost her sister, who was her one true source of grounding. All she has left is killing, and the amount of that she’s done in the past is finally creeping up on her. Other characters in the film get an arc, but the main one we follow in the team-up film is hers, and it works extremely well. And, while the script for this newest MCU adventure is rock-solid, the lion’s share of the credit must go to Pugh, who once again shows that she truly is her generation’s Meryl Streep.
