There are a couple of upcoming Marvel movies set to hit the 2025 movie calendar, and the first of those puts the villains front and center. Thunderbolts* will close out Phase 5 of the MCU when it hits theaters May 2, and fans will finally learn the endgame plan for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Critics had the opportunity to screen the film ahead of its release, and they can’t stop talking about how good Florence Pugh is.
Marvel fans are naturally excited about the MCU’s Thunderbolts*, especially after director Jake Schreier released that explosion-filled behind-the-scenes footage. The film centers around a grieving Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) as she teams up with other antiheroes against a common enemy. In CinemaBlend’s review of Thunderbolts*, Eric Eisenberg says the film is among the better of the MCU’s recent offerings, mostly checking the boxes it needs to before next summer’s Avengers: Doomsday. He rates the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing:
A far more accurate title for the movie would be Yelena Belova & Friends, as there is no questioning that the graduate from the Black Widow program is the standout presence in the feature – but it’s hardly a bad horse to bet on, both because of Florence Pugh’s immense talent and because there is a lot that is engaging about what the character is going through.
Nicholas Barber of the BBC also calls it one of Marvel’s best of the past few years, giving it 4 stars out of 5. The critic calls it “scrappy, scruffy-looking, down-to-earth fun" and says it’s so neatly plotted that you can get the gist and enjoy the ride whether you're a Marvel nerd or not — mostly thanks to Florence Pugh. Barber continues:
Pugh delivers a performance which would win her awards if it weren't in a superhero film. She delivers her punchlines with expert timing, especially when she is bickering and bantering with Red Guardian. But she can also radiate raw emotion – and all while maintaining a decent Russian accent and cartwheeling through her acrobatic fight scenes. When it comes down to it, that's why Thunderbolts* is so much better than most of Marvel's post-Endgame films. It's not just because it's a rough-edged, big-hearted spy thriller about lovably clueless anti-heroes. It's because it has an actor as charismatic as Pugh at its centre.
Jesse Hassenger of AV Club grades the upcoming superhero movie a B, saying Marvel gets some of its mojo back with this semi-Black Widow sequel, as Thunderbolts* brings these antiheroes to the forefront with surprising ingenuity. Hassenger says:
It would be easy to get carried away about Thunderbolts* and admittedly, this movie will function as a psychological drama primarily for people who absolutely refuse to watch any actual psychological dramas. Still, there’s a limit to how fake a movie can feel with Pugh at the center. As Thunderbolts* dabbles in areas already explored by stuff like The Boys and The Suicide Squad, Pugh’s smudged soulfulness courses with real human feeling. Is there another performer who can somehow make a caricatured Eastern European accent integral to both her deadpan comic delivery and a hard-won sense of pathos?
Peter Debruge of Variety writes that the blockbuster balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns and relies on deep knowledge of obscure characters (better get to watching those Marvel movies in order) to make sense of the MCU going forward. Debruge agrees with the others that it’s Florence Pugh’s film, writing:
As with the Guardians of the Galaxy films, what works here is the uneasy tension within a team that comes together out of necessity, rather than any natural sense of affinity. The Marvel strategists were smart to anchor the film with Yelena — not because she’s an especially compelling character, but on account of who’s playing her. In Pugh’s hands, Yelena is facing a more relatable identity crisis than your typical Marvel hero.
Clint Gage of IGN rates it a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying the father/daughter dynamic between David Harbour and Florence Pugh is a blast to watch, but Thunderbolts* truly excels with its darker, more upsetting subject matter. All in all, Gage says it’s the most solid MCU movie in a while, concluding:
Thunderbolts* is the most solid the sacred timeline has felt in a little while, providing an adventure befitting its overlooked title characters. While it very capably dabbles in a darker tone – touching on the mental health of heroes and villains alike – the filmmakers struggle to balance that dabbling with a snappy, comedic energy. While the movie as a whole left me feeling like it was a downer on the balance, it’s at least the good kind of downer, filled with characters I’m looking forward to seeing again.
The critics seem to agree that Florence Pugh’s performance is a big reason why Thunderbolts* is some of Marvel’s best work in recent years. The movie has been Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 89% on the Tomatometer. Luckily, you don’t need to wait any longer to check it out for yourself, as the MCU Phase 5 flick hits theaters Friday, May 2.
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