Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*Thunderbolts* has comfortably secured itself as one of the best MCU installments of the Multiverse Saga, and I think ten of its most jaw-dropping moments are largely to thank. I was pleasantly surprised by the impact of Thunderbolts* after initially feeling nervous about its premise. Starring a team of mostly obscure characters like Ghost and Red Guardian meant that it could have flopped, as it’s fair to say that these characters (as much as I enjoy them) don’t carry quite the same star power as the Avengers.
Now, I’m hopeful that positive responses to Thunderbolts* will translate to an effective word-of-mouth campaign. Combined with Marvel Studios’ unorthodox new marketing campaign for Thunderbolts*, I’m hopeful that the New Avengers will receive the attention they deserve. This is especially because I think everybody needs to witness these awesome moments from the movie for themselves.
10
Sentry’s Powerful Debut
The Thunderbolts Didn’t Stand A Chance
It isn’t as if I wasn’t expecting Sentry to arrive in Thunderbolts*. His “S” symbol belt buckle and various other clues in Thunderbolts* trailers all but confirmed that Lewis Pullman’s Bob would indeed be the same Bob Reynolds from Marvel Comics. Nevertheless, I don’t think I was prepared for the spectacle that was to follow, as Sentry made quick work of the Thunderbolts moments after stepping down a staircase in his full blue-and-yellow costume, displaying a dizzying array of superpowers that he non-lethally unleashed on the team.
Sentry’s power level is described as being equal to one thousand exploding suns in Thunderbolts* instead of the typical one million in Marvel Comics, suggesting the MCU’s Sentry has received a power downgrade.
Although the showcase of Sentry’s powers was short and sweet, it hammered home the implications of his introduction to the MCU. Sure, the Thunderbolts aren’t as powerful as the original Avengers, but they’re also no pushovers, and the fact that they couldn’t so much as land a punch certainly validated Sentry’s subsequent comments about being a god. Additionally, I have to admit that I was a big fan of his costume, though I imagine he’ll have a brand-new one the next time Sentry emerges in the MCU.
9
The Void Turns A Child Into A Shadow
It Made The Situation Feel Hopeless
Moments after wallowing from their defeat at the hands of Sentry, the Thunderbolts get to work with some old-fashioned, street-level heroics. As chaos befalls the streets of Manhattan following the Void’s arrival, a heartwarming sequence plays out where the Thunderbolts rescue individuals from falling debris and other hazards. This culminates in Red Guardian shielding a young girl from a tumbling concrete block. This effort is then ostensibly rendered obsolete as the girl is suddenly turned into a shadow by the Void.
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What makes this moment so shocking is the age of the Void’s victim. At that point, it was unclear that the Void was merely banishing his victims to a realm of “shame rooms,” which made it seem as though he had outright murdered the most innocent of victims. The moment was exacerbated by the apparent hopelessness of the situation the Thunderbolts faced, as there was nothing Red Guardian or any of them could have done to prevent the Void’s onslaught.
8
The Thunderbolts Vs. The Chicken Costume
The Scene Was Sudden And Hilarious
Early on in Thunderbolts*, Bob reveals that he took a job as a sign-spinner in a chicken costume at the height of his drug addiction. This was apparently a shameful moment for Bob, as his costumed sign-spinning days featured in one of his shame rooms as the Thunderbolts attempted to rescue him and exit the Void’s torturous realm. As the memories were both tangible and antagonistic towards their efforts, this led to the shame room manifestation of Bob, dressed as a chicken, attacking the team.
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The moment was a prime example of Thunderbolts* ability to straddle pathos and humor, with Bucky Barnes’ well-placed punch being a hilarious end to this bizarre encounter. Despite this moment being depicted in one Thunderbolts* trailer, it was difficult to predict how this was going to play out until the point of impact. Ultimately, I’m glad that this particularly fleeting sequence was kept in the final cut.
7
Yelena’s “First Trial” For The Red Room
Yelena Relives Her Experience Luring A Friend To Her Death
Yelena Belova is the first to experience the Void’s MO after inadvertently touching Bob’s hand in the movie’s first act. This transported her to her most shameful memory, which involved what looked like a mission during her time in the Red Room training to be a Black Widow. This memory was of her younger self luring a friend, Anya, into the woods to be brutally assassinated by a grown man.
It is clear why Yelena feels extreme guilt over this moment, though at the same time, it is hard to hold her responsible given her young age.
Again, the ages of the people involved are what make this scene so shocking. It is clear why Yelena feels extreme guilt over this moment, though at the same time, it is hard to hold her responsible given her young age. Instead, the most terrifying facet of this moment is the older man who so willingly murders Anya, driving home the severity of Yelena’s unfathomable upbringing.
6
Bucky Barnes’ Motorbike Entrance
Bucky Barnes’ Best Action Sequence Was Epic
Thunderbolts* isn’t the most action-packed MCU movie, but the action sequences it does include are incredible. This was perfectly demonstrated by Bucky Barnes’ first encounter with the Thunderbolts while pursuing them. In this sequence, Bucky arrives on a motorbike with a high-tech shotgun in hand and proceeds to make quick work of the OXE Group armored vehicles that are also pursuing the Thunderbolts. The best moment comes when Bucky uses his vibranium arm to grab a truck’s towline and topple it.
Bucky doesn’t get as much of a focus in Thunderbolts* as Yelena or Bob, but this moment alone was enough to justify his involvement. It helped to prove why he is such a fan-favorite within the MCU, despite often playing second fiddle to other characters. After successfully capturing all of the Thunderbolts, including two other super soldiers, it is also established that he is easily the team’s most powerful member.
5
Taskmaster’s Sudden Death
Taskmaster’s MCU Career Was Brought To An Abrupt End
Despite featuring in much of the marketing material, the foremost theories about Taskmaster’s fate in Thunderbolts* were, for better or worse, abruptly vindicated in the movie’s first act. During the four-way brawl between Yelena, John, Ava, and Antonia, Ghost swiftly proves that she is one of the most capable members of the team by successfully carrying out her mission and executing Taskmaster with a shot to the head. It brutally punctuated an otherwise wildly entertaining fight as each of the combatants’ skills were on full and expertly choreographed display.
Taskmaster’s death was designed to demonstrate the lack of plot armor surrounding the characters. What was so shocking about it, however, was how abruptly Taskmaster’s MCU career was brought to an unceremonious end. I’ll admit that the moment saddened me a little, as I had hoped Marvel might wish to invest a little more into the character and offer a shot at redemption after a controversial debut in Black Widow. Instead, Ghost’s gunshot spelled out a resounding “no” regarding that possibility.
4
Bob Discovers His Powers
The Sequence Looked Incredible
Following Taskmaster’s death, the Thunderbolts pooled together to escape the OXE Group compound, with each one deploying their signature skills to progress. Bob was a glaring outlier in this process, as the team was entirely unaware of the true power he harbored. In a last-ditch attempt to contribute, Bob distracts the OXE Group forces by firing a weapon, only to be showered with a hail of bullets for his efforts. This leaves Bob entirely unscathed before his eyes begin to glow pale yellow, and he soars into the sky and through the clouds.
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What makes this scene so compelling is how Thunderbolts* depicted how an array of incredible superpowers would manifest in someone unaware he even has them. The shot of Bob flying awkwardly up into the air as if pulled by an unseen force was particularly striking, especially as his ungainly form broke through the cloud cover and into the night sky. I can’t think of any similar moments in the MCU, and loved how it foreshadowed what was to come when Sentry (and the Void) would eventually emerge.
3
Bob’s Final Shame Room
The Void Was Particularly Sinister
After making their way through a sequence of Bob’s shame rooms, he brings them to the worst. Yelena is faced with a familiar sight as they enter the Malaysian lab that first bestowed Bob with his powers and unleashed the Void, which Yelena would subsequently destroy as part of a mission assigned by Val. This is where the team stages their final showdown with the Void, who nearly succeeds in making Bob succumb to his darkness by provoking a violent outburst and letting out a sinister laugh as Bob proceeds to pummel him on the ground.
The Void is the manifestation of Bob’s deeply negative emotions empowered by the process that turned him into Sentry.
The Void’s disturbing reaction to being beaten demonstrates just how unstoppable the entity is against sheer force alone, a moment that was rendered all the more off-putting by the white teeth and pinprick eyes shining out from an otherwise featureless face as he cackled. It was all that was required to justify the team’s ultimate tactic to quell the Void by wresting Bob from his negative emotions. While this showdown didn’t pack as much action as most MCU movies, the harrowing setting and heartwarming conclusion made it feel refreshingly unique.
2
Valentina Announces The New Avengers
The Thunderbolts Were The New Avengers All Along
After successfully subduing the Void in Bob’s mind, the Thunderbolts find themselves back on the material plane, having rescued New York’s citizens from their shame room prisons. Spotting Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the distance, they immediately go to confront her, only to be hoodwinked into standing before a press conference as Val proceeds to extoll their heroic success. This is where Val delivers the answer to the conspicuous asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title by announcing them as the New Avengers.
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This reveal may have vindicated many theories about the asterisk in the lead up to Thunderbolts*, but I don’t think that made the moment any less jaw-dropping. Instead, it brings a new level of validation to the team, retroactively makes MCU Phase 4 the only phase without an Avengers movie, and kicks back against one of the main criticisms of the Multiverse Saga concerning its lack of Avengers movies. Sure, the proceeding credits highlight how this team isn’t nearly as flashy or popular as the original, but I think it was one of the best surprise reveals of the MCU.
1
The Post-Credits Scene
The Fantastic Four Finally Enter The MCU
Thunderbolts* continued justifying its existence by delivering one of the most consequential post-credits scenes in recent memory. After a 14-month time-jump, the New Avengers are seen operating within the old Avengers Tower, where they reveal Sam Wilson is copyrighting the Avengers name and litigating against them, hinting at friction between the two Avengers teams. As they discuss this, Yelena is made aware of an extradimensional anomaly entering Earth’s orbit, which is then revealed to be the Fantastic Four’s spaceship.
The scene was the first official sighting of the Fantastic Four in the MCU (assuming they are indeed aboard the ship), heralding one of the most exciting new additions to the franchise just moments after confirming a new lineup of Avengers.
This immediately connects Thunderbolts* to two of the MCU’s biggest upcoming movies: The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday. The scene was the first official sighting of the Fantastic Four in the MCU (assuming they are indeed aboard the ship), heralding one of the most exciting new additions to the franchise just moments after confirming a new lineup of Avengers. The scene additionally ignited a firestorm of speculation about the upcoming movie, as it seemingly confirms the Fantastic Four will be fleeing their universe to enter the mainline MCU’s Earth-616.
8/10
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
- Runtime
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126 Minutes
- Director
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Jake Schreier
- Writers
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Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo
Upcoming MCU Movies
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
