Coming Back Together: The MCU and Thunderbolts*

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Iron Man released in 2008, and I was nine years old. I’ve been a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan since. I saw nearly every MCU movie in theatres, sometimes twice, until the end of Phase 3 and the pandemic hit.

I loved, and continue to love, these movies. When the Marvel intro begins with the comics flipping inside the logo, I get goosebumps every time, even on re-watches. I love these characters, their depth, their flaws, the message these movies carried, and, of course, the jokes and witty one-liners. Clichéd as they are, I love them all the same.

It was a family affair. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, we’d all go see the newest MCU movie together and gladly take up an entire row of theatre seats. I remember seeing The Avengers two weeks in a row because the second time, some of the family was visiting from a different city. I remember roaring with laughter in Avengers: Age of Ultron when Vision picks up Mjolnir, along with the rest of the audience. I remember taking my immigrant, Guyanese grandmother, to see Black Panther and the effect it had on her.

Coming Together

These movies bring people together. Together, in a way I’ve never seen before or since. We cheered, always, for the underdog. These weren’t perfect heroes.

I watched as Tony Stark, facing death countless times, still tried to do the right thing. As Steve Rogers struggled with PTSD and a past he couldn’t return to. As Natasha Romanov continued to distrust her instincts and not believe she really was a good person. As Clint Barton, just a guy with a bow and arrow, tried to hold this team together. As Bruce Banner battled with his alter-ego, a scientist—a doctor, who only wanted to help people, not harm them. I watched as Bucky Barnes' memories came back, as he went from “I did this” to “I didn’t have a choice.” I watched as Loki continued to survive against all odds…until he didn’t. I watched Carol Danvers free herself from the expectations of others and own her power.

Falling Behind

But, somewhere along the way, I stopped watching. Or rather, I couldn’t keep up. Between the dozen shows Marvel released on Disney+, in addition to the movies, I fell behind.

I have yet to see:

• WandaVision (only ever watched one episode, and I don’t know why)

• Moon Knight

• Ms. Marvel

• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 (heard it’s sad, so I might just be avoiding it on purpose)

• Secret Invasion

• Loki Season 2

• The Marvels

• Echo

• Agatha All Along

• Daredevil: Born Again (but I am waiting on my sister to catch up on the earlier seasons)

• Captain America: Brave New World

As someone who, until 2020, watched every single MCU movie religiously, this was a bit of a shock.

The MCU used to release two movies every year. By Phase 3 with Thor: Ragnarok, they were releasing three movies in a year. After Spider-Man: Far From Home and into Phase 4, the MCU released four films and five shows in 2021.

We were all home during the pandemic, not doing anything better with our time—except, no, we weren’t. I was in college doing online classes, my sister worked as a cashier in a grocery store on weekends. Not all of us had time to pick up a new hobby or catch up on our TV viewing.

Slowing Down

Thankfully, I have heard that the MCU plans on slowing down its release dates.

Despite missing Captain America: Brave New World in theatres, my friends and I did get to see Thunderbolts* on the big screen. And it felt like old times. It felt like people were coming together again to enjoy a good movie about unlikely heroes. I adored this movie. It is one of my top five favourites now, right up there with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Eternals.

Thunderbolts*

I talked about this in my last newsletter, but I’m going to rant again about it here. Why? Because I can. And because I do, in a way, really feel like the MCU is back. The introduction of the Multiverse Saga left me feeling pulled in too many directions, on top of the speedy release dates, and Thor’s new exuberant personality in Thor: Ragnarok coming out of left field. I know Hemsworth just wanted to have some fun, for once, but there was zero transition for the audience, and it was jarring.

But Thunderbolts*, it worked. We’re picking this group of characters back up after leaving them be for a while, and throwing them into a—contained—situation and seeing what happens. The movie didn’t feel so big, in this vast multiverse world. It was a small scale setting, on Earth, in the same city (the same exact spot, actually) The Avengers took place.

And once again, I watched as Yelena grappled with her regrets, the loss of her sister, and the dissatisfaction she had with her life. I watched as Alexei, too, struggled with unfulfillment and missing the good ol’ days. I even watched John Walker semi-redeem himself in front of my own eyes (it’s a love-hate relationship). I watched as Bucky Barnes tried to fit into a new world, one where people knew his past, and now a public figure. As Ava Starr, Ghost, learned how to work with a team. And Bob. I watched as Bob, in an exceptionally heartfelt and gracious way, handled his struggles with mental illness and bipolar disorder, but not alone. Never alone.

These “New Avengers” are the underdogs we rooted for in The Avengers. These characters have depth and secrets, and arcs that make sense. They’re heroes, but they’re also just human. And it shows.

It shows in Yelena’s tears when she’s telling her father, her dad, how many regrets she has. It shows in Bucky’s nonchalant comment about his experience in the Void. It shows in Walker’s trust in Yelena to willingly step into the Void despite the insults she threw at him not that long beforehand. It shows in Ava’s willingness to join this new team and not be alone, even though she could just walk away.

There’s something a little broken about each of these characters (ok, maybe a lot broken, but go with me), a little sorrowful, but a lot of heart, a lot of passion. The Thunderbolts* are people we can relate to. Bucky has been through so much, but he’s still trying to fit into this world and find some sense of normalcy again. I’ve been there. I’ve struggled with finding a new normal after experiencing depression and anxiety. I’ve lost someone close to me like Yelena. I’ve isolated myself like Ava and been unsure if I could fit in anywhere. I’ve reminisced like Alexei for a past I can’t go back to.

I’m not saying the MCU’s other characters don’t do this, or continued to share this humanity after Phase 3, but there’s just something better about the Thunderbolts*. Something more people can relate to, especially now.

I went into this movie thinking it was going to be another action-packed Marvel movie with their hilarious quips and quotable lines. I had no idea about the mental illness plotline, and it hit right in the feels, guys, it really did. I think it was exactly what the MCU needed because it was exactly what we all needed as viewers.

It’s Nick Fury throwing bloody Captain America trading cards on the table because “they needed the push.” None of the original Avengers, except maybe Steve Rogers and Thor, were true “heroes” before The Avengers. They were spies. They were mega-rich and arrogant. They were “monsters.” None of the Thunderbolts* were true heroes before they became a team, first out of necessity, and then because they wanted to stick together.

Final Thoughts

I could go on and on about this movie and franchise, but I’ll stop here. I love this movie, and all of these movies. Here’s to hoping I can catch up on the ones I’ve missed.