The Marvel Cinematic Universe concludes Phase 5 with its 36^th film, Thunderbolts*. A very unlikely group of characters from assorted movies and shows comes to face what they think is a threat before finding out they really don’t know what’s going on at all. It’s a bit different than a lot of the others movies have been, but they handle the changes really well. As usual with my movie reviews, I will be doing my utmost to avoid spoilers.

The main cast of characters are Bucky/Winter Soldier, from the Captain America movies, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and some of the Avengers films; Yelena, from the Black Widow movie and the Hawkeye tv show; Red Guardian, from the Black Widow movie; US Agent, from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp; Taskmaster from the Black Widow; and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, from Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Wakanda Forever. We also get introduced to… well, Bob and Mel don’t have cool sounding names, but they play important parts in the movie. Congressman Gary is also played by the always enjoyable Wendell Pierce, although he doesn’t get a whole lot to do.

Yelena is arguably the lead character of the movie, even though it’s an ensemble piece, and she’s going through a rough time. She’s still mourning her sister (RIP Natasha), and doing questionable jobs for Val because she really doesn’t have a lot else to do. After we see her finish a mission with her usual blend of amazing efficiency and comedy, we get to see more about what’s going on with Val, as well as Bucky’s new job, which was hinted at over in Captain America: Brave New World. This film takes place shortly after that one. There’s an interesting party with some even more interesting decorations around it that should look familiar to MCU fans.

In a series of nice edits, we cut back and forth from the party to seeing what the group of reluctantly assembled costumed agents are up to, and against. There are double-crosses, booby traps, surprising reveals, the first named character death, and Bob. Eventually, almost in spite of themselves, most of the team makes it out and has to fight their way free, as they learn more about each other. There’s not exactly a rescue but an unexpected pickup, which then turns into another ambush with an extra surprise. Eventually, the collection of characters head for New York for a showdown with Val and her assistant Mel. Mel is an interesting choice for a name to use in connection with the Thunderbolts, as fans of the comic book version know.

There’s a really impressive battle in New York (New York is not a great place to live in any superhero universe) and the team actually starts acting like a team. Their solution to the danger threatening the city is unique, and it draws, in part, on all the bad experiences they’ve had in their lives. Mental health is absolutely a component of this movie, and it’s handled in a unique and clever way. It’s not preachy, but it gets a great message across. One of the last scenes of the movie shows some brilliant political maneuvering, and there’s going to be an interesting dynamic with this group going forward. And we know, thanks to the end title and the infamous director chair preview of Avengers: Doomsday, that they’ll be back.

There are, like so many Marvel movies, end credit scenes. One in the middle is pretty much just straight humor, one of the characters doing what they do. But the second one is intriguing on many levels. It is, I believe, the longest one they’ve done. It reveals some interesting world-building is happening off-screen, and that follows up on something from an earlier movie. But one of the last things in that scene sets up something huge, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

What I Liked: The action and humor are great in this movie. The way the characters come together works (and is definitely a great example of the law of unintended consequences). The way they handled some really difficult material was phenomenally well executed. The big end scene was fantastic.

What I Didn’t: Mostly small things. There’s a character who should at least get a mention, if not an appearance, in this movie, who get neither, and the lack of explanation is just weird. The one that gets killed off early is one who, in their comic book incarnation, is a favorite of mine. And yes, this is small and ridiculous, but someone who does what Yelena does should not be wearing dangly earrings. It just seems like they should be getting ripped out every few minutes, with the kind of life she lives.

All that to one side, this was a great movie and had some wonderful moments. I’ll give it a high 4 out of 5, and I’m really looking forward to what comes next.