Yelena Belova: There’s something wrong with me. An emptiness. I thought it started when my sister died, but now it feels like something bigger. Just a void. Or maybe I’m just bored.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a little rough for a while. A few good movies, but mostly, everything mostly feels by the book.

Thunderbolts*… is a surprisingly good movie.

It could have been forgettable. More action movie/big skybeam showdown/forgettable mirror villains. It could have been Marvel’s answer to The Suicide Squad (either really).

But somehow, it’s better than that?

Basically, we take a who’s who of the forgotten broken anti-heroes (or even outright villains), each sent on a mission to solve the ‘problems’ the others pose. Florence Pugh’s Yelena is the heart of the movie, but David Harbour’s Red Guardian is a lot of fun, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker is … better than he was in [[The Falcon and the Winter Soldier]]. We have a Ghost and a Taskmaster.

And Bob.

It’s kind of cool seeing a new team come together. They’re not the Avengers*, but somehow it works.

And they have a frankly terrifying villain to contend with–themselves.

Oh. And there’s Bob.

I have no idea if this will work in the greater cinematic universe, but that’s okay.

They’re a bunch of not great people that have honestly done some terrible things. And I’m not sure we can just forgive that.

But it’s a fun movie, it’s got a point, and I’m so glad that Marvel can still sometimes put something out like this.

Red Guardian: Yelena, you know what you told me about why you wanted to be goalie in that terrible soccer team?
Yelena Belova: [wipes away tear] So I wouldn’t have to run as much?
Red Guardian: Maybe that too. But you told me, “I want to be the person everyone relies on when they make a mistake.”