I thinkThunderboltshas the potential to be one of the best movies in theMCU, based on what I can tell from the latest trailer alone. Due to be released on May 2, three core trailers have been released forThunderbolts, withthe upcoming MCU movieeven receiving the coveted Super Bowl slot for its second. While this was an incredibly exciting look at what to expect - with what appears to be the movie’s arch-villain, the Void, being revealed - I would argue thatthe latest trailer forThunderbolts*is even better.
At this point, it’s unclear whether Marvel Studios intends to reveal more about what toexpect from theThunderboltsstoryor whether we’ll ever get afirst look at Bob’s Sentryoutside of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot from behind. I’m happy to keep it that way for now, as a firestorm of speculation rages in the lead-up to May regarding such burning questions as what the asterisk means. Thankfully, the latest trailer doesn’t reveal much at all, though what it does illustrate is thatThunderboltswill be a stark departure from the Marvel norm.
The Recent Thunderbolts Trailer Focuses More On Character Than Action
The Trailer Highlights The Back Catalogs Of The Filmmakers
The latestThunderboltstrailer is unlike anything Marvel Studios has released before, and it has struck the right chord. Dubbed “Absolute Cinema,“the trailer cycles through the breadth of the talent involved in the making ofThunderbolts, calling attention to its collaborators having worked on such movies asThe Green Knight,Midsommar, andEverything Everywhere All at Once. It is a shrewd move that works to highlight the prestige involved and extend a hand to fans of the kind of “Absolute cinema” it name-checks.Compared to other MCU installments,Thunderbolts*certainly feels more like an indie darling.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Explained: All Members Powers, Comics Origin & MCU History
The MCU has unveiled its Thunderbolts* team in a thrilling teaser trailer. Each member boasts a captivating comic book history and dynamic powers.
This trailer compounds that sentiment bydistinctly lacking high-octane action and focusing instead on its composite characters. As it cycles through the members of the titular team, each can be seen in various emotional states, lending credence to the notion thatThunderboltswill explore its characters' psyches. I think this is a positive that should hopefully helpThunderboltsto stand out from the crowd, and it flies in the face of one of the main concerns leveled at the movie even months before the first trailer dropped.
A Big Thunderbolts* Complaint Is That The Characters Aren’t Superpowered Enough
There Are Well-Founded Concerns About How They’ll Fare Against The Villain
As Valentina Allegra De Fontaine stresses in twoThunderboltstrailers: “The Avengers are not coming.” Ever since rumors aboutSentry’s involvement inThunderboltsbegan to swirl, this has baffled many MCU fans, as he is one ofMarvel’s most powerful characters, with his villainous alter-ego being an Avengers-level threat at the very least.The move to instead pit him against a ragtag team of comparatively weak characters has therefore been a sticking point from the jump, as the Thunderbolts mostly comprise super soldiers and assassins who, as Yelena puts it, “All just punch and shoot.”
Super-Assassin and perfect mimicry
Ava Starr/Ghost
Quantum phasing
The obvious outlier here is Ava Starr, whose phasing powers could prove useful, even if they do pale in comparison to Vision’s total power set.The rest is essentially a team comprising Steve Rogers and Black Widow,with nobody holding a candle tothe Avengers' most powerful members, Thor and Hulk. While I can see why some harbor concerns over the potential for egregious examples of plot armor and leaps in logic, I think this makes the dynamic even more compelling, as it turns them into the ultimate underdogs with plenty of under-explored potential for the MCU.
Thunderbolts* Focusing On A Team Of Lesser Superheroes Could Be What Makes It Great
Thunderbolts* Will Focus On Their Shortcomings
The fact that the Thunderbolts comprise underpowered superheroes leaves plenty of room for the movieto capitalize on their weaknesses and deliver an MCU movie that prioritizes pathos over pandemonium. Yelena Belova highlighting their shortcomings when compared to the superpowers of the Avengers foreshadows howThunderboltswill hone in on their insecurities, underscored by having them face off against a threat as powerful as the Void. Lending further credence to this notion is how theThunderboltscast have repeatedly asserted thatThunderbolts*will focus on themes surrounding mental health.
This reality is likely to take its toll on the team Bucky assembles.
Valentina’s “The Avengers are not coming” line also bolsters this possibility, as the movie isn’t shying away from comparing this team to the comparatively more iconic one that took down a universe-ending threat (even though Bucky was involved in that fight). This reality is likely to take its toll on the team Bucky assembles. Should this end, as many have predicted, in the deaths of most if not all of the team, I thinkThunderbolts*has the potential to be something special that could emulate the emotional gut-punch that wasAvengers: Infinity War.
