I Had MCU Fatigue, But I'm Excited Again - Thank You, Thunderbolts*

The following contains major spoilers about Marvel’s Thunderbolts*.

When I watched the first Iron Man in theaters all those years ago (man, I’m old), I stayed through the credits for no reason other than because I’ve stayed through the credits for as long as I can remember. When Samuel L. Jackson appeared and introduced himself as Nick Fury, I was instantly hooked on what would soon become known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From that day to this, I have remained a fan, but I’ll be the first to admit that as of late, it’s mainly been going through the motions. I enjoy going to see every new release, which is not to say I’m particularly excited about going to see each new release. However, thanks to Thunderbolts*, that’s all started to change.

The MCU Has Always Been Fun, But It Just Hasn’t Been Interesting Lately

I’m certainly not the first to say that, post Avengers: Endgame, it feels like there’s been something missing in the MCU. There have been high points, of course. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was just about everything we could have wanted from the ending of that trilogy. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever found a compelling story despite it clearly having to pivot from the story it otherwise would have told.

I enjoyed The Marvels more than most; I had a lot of fun with it. I think Anthony Mackie’s Captain America is a great addition. Having said that, neither film was much more than a fun distraction. Neither's ending nor the post-credits tease got me particularly excited about the future of any of the characters or any larger plotlines. Once I finished the story, I moved on.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was the film most driven by the whole Multiverse Saga idea, and even if that idea hadn’t been blown out the airlock with the decision to part ways with Jonathan Majors, I still didn’t care about it.

But now, for the first time in a long time, I’m excited for the future of the MCU. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. I still don't care about the Multiverse Saga; the plot doesn't interest me. However, some of the characters who are now part of it do interest me a great deal.

I love the Thunderbolts*. They are fun, interesting, complex, and completely dysfunctional. I admit a big part of that is that they appear to be filling a gap in the MCU left by my favorite superhero team of them all, which was just as broken as this one.

Thunderbolts* Are The New Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Thunderbolts* may look like potential replacements for the Avengers, but they are, more accurately (at least in tone) a new Guardians of the Galaxy team. While the characters are quite different, the Thunderbolts and Guardians are both teams made up of damaged individuals who are able to help each other, and themselves, by coming together. By sharing their pain, they begin to heal from it.

Watching the transformation of the Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the highlights of the MCU to date. The characters integrated well into the larger universe, but their trilogy also stood alone and told a nearly perfect story. The only negative thing about it when it all came to an end was that there wouldn’t be more.

But, Thunderbolts* is very similar in structure and tone. It’s a compelling character drama first and foremost. It mostly focuses on Florence Pugh’s Yelena and Lewis Pullman’s Bob (while Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost is criminally underused) but this team certainly scratches the itch left behind by the Guardians.

Thunderbolts Has A Post Credits Scene With A Point

And, just as with the Guardians, this film doesn’t simply “fix” everybody over the course of the film. There is still trauma to be dealt with, and that makes me want to see more of this team in a way that I haven’t with MCU’s characters in quite some time. Because we know the Thunderbolts* cast will be part of Avengers: Doomsday, I’m now looking forward to that movie far more than I was a week ago.

It’s not solely the characters that have me excited for the future of the MCU. The post-credits scene in Thunderbolts* sets up a couple of interesting plot developments that one assumes will pay off, and will do so in the short term.

Once upon a time, it felt like Marvel’s post-credits scenes all had a point, but more recently, they seem to just be there because fans expect them. They set up characters or ideas that go nowhere, or they’re simply meant to add a final joke. I don’t mind the comedy now and then, but post-credits scenes since Avengers: Endgame have been largely pointless.

While there’s no need to dig into spoilers, the final scene of this movie not only teases the next film but also sets up a broader potential conflict that seems destined to be resolved in the next two Avengers films.

The Future Of The MCU Is Interesting Again

Between a new group of characters I have invested in and an intriguing idea for how all the various characters may be coming together, though perhaps not all on the same side, I’m much more excited for the future of the MCU.

It’s remarkable to realize that between Fantastic Four, the two Avengers films, and the next Spider-Man movie, there isn’t a lot left of the MCU that’s been announced. It’s all but certain that there will be future phases and new, broader storylines to follow. The Russo Brothers have claimed that the upcoming Avengers movies are a beginning not an ending.

I certainly hope the story of the Thunderbolts* is only just beginning. These are some of the best characters we’ve gotten in the MCU in quite some time. There’s more to explore here, more development for these characters to go through. I’m intrigued to see what role they will play in Doomsday, far more than I care about anything else surrounding the film. But, I am now looking forward to Doomsday in a way I wasn't before, so thank you, Thunderbolts*.