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Major Spoilers forThunderbolts* are down below.
Marvel’sThunderbolts*offers audiences a look at numerous characters dealing with mental health struggles and even provides solutions to combat them. The film assembles a team of morally questionable antiheroes, with characters who don’t hesitate to kill and often find themselves at odds with the Earth’s mightiest heroes. However, they step out of the shadows this time and into reluctant hero roles.
Marvel has made heroes out of villains like Loki, yet theThunderboltsoffer a gritty, more grounded feel to lesser-known characters. In doing so, it also sees the MCU enter into darker thematic elements. With characters like Yelena, Red Guardian, and John Walker coming together, they each bring their own traumas that the movie doesn’t shy away from. Thanks to theThunderbolts, the MCU is tackling more intense mental health storylines and being cognizant enough to ensure viewers are also given positive ways to handle them in their personal lives.
Thunderbolts*Sees Antiheroes Battling Their Inner Demons & Past Traumas
Each member of the Thunderbolts has personal traumas they are dealing with throughout the movie.Yelena leads the film, with her story being one of the driving forces. She is suffering from depression and loneliness, turning to alcohol as a negative coping tactic. Her past is also one of the darkest backstories in the MCU, having survived the Red Room, withThunderbolts*even showing audiencesan instance where she led a fellow child to their death to complete an assignment. It’s memories like this that Yelena continually tortures herself with, wanting to be better despite her entire life pointing her toward evil acts.
The lab accident that gave Ghost her powers saw her relegated to a painful upbringing where she struggled to stay corporeal. Red Guardian struggles with feelings of inadequacy and being a failed father to a found family.Thunderbolts*also delves into the further fallout of John Walker’s actions, as he was a pariah after killing someone inThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He tends to be boastful, but the movie reveals that his wife left him, taking their child with her, and while her actions were understandable, his behavior stemmed from untreated trauma.
The movie’s most significant representation comes from Lewis Pullman’s Bob, who suffered an abusive childhood, was a meth addict as an adult, and developed a split psyche. He is an immeasurably powerful character, with his hero half, Sentry,being someone akin to Superman, and his dark half, The Void, being the embodiment of Bob’s fears and past trauma.The Void is an entire villain created by a traumatized man in response to a toxic environment and upbringing.The MCU has dealt with mental health struggles before, like seeing Tony Stark suffering from PTSD inIron Man 3. Still, theThunderbolts*fuels their entire story with similar traumas from every character.
Thunderbolts*Doesn’t Shy Away From Dark Human Emotions
From the film’s start, Yelena is searching for a connection, wanting to come out of the shadows and meet up with her father, Red Guardian. However, she doesn’t believe she can truly accomplish it, with a dark past that can’t be redeemed. The story follows her path, and when they all meet Bob, she is the only one who extends him any kindness. Walker is short with him, demanding answers he doesn’t have, and Bob is just a person out of place, unaware of his powers. Yelena slowly befriends Bob, and as the two connect,Thunderbolts*begins to showthe audience how a calm and understanding approach to helping a traumatized person will win out over aggression.
One of Bob’s unique powers is seeing into people’s past (usually dark) memories.Throughout the movie, he sees Yelena’s childhood regrets, Walker lashing out at his family, and Valentina witnessing her father’s death, forcing each character to relive some of their bleakest moments. In doing so, it gives audiences a glimpse at several traumas and how they influenced those people’s lives. The audience understands why Yelena may have turned to alcoholism and why Walker struggled to maintain his composure around his family.While their ways of coping tend to be negative, it shows how past traumas can be detrimental long after they’re over, and that everyone struggles with problems others may never see.
Thunderbolts*may force their characters to wallow in the dark, but the film builds on messages of found family and hope. When Yelena is at her lowest,Red Guardian becomes the fatherand support system she needs, telling her that no matter how alone she feels, she is never alone. It’s not a cure-all by any means, but it’s a small gesture of community and love that shows people in their darkest moments that there’s always a brighter tomorrow. With that, Yelena takes a leap of faith into the darkness to pass on that gesture of hope and kindness.
One Of Marvel’s Strongest Characters Is Stopped By A Simple Human Gesture
The finale ofThunderbolts*takes place in the Void, which sees each character stuck in their worst memories. They fight their way through their individual traumas, helping themselves break past each one, which aids their own journey but is also done to help someone else. Their goal is to save Bob, who has been relegated to the Void by his darker half. As the final battle builds, the Thunderbolts are trapped, watching Bob punch away at his darkness, with it beginning to envelop him. However, Yelena breaks free first, with the rest close behind, aseach member grabs Bob, hugging him and telling him he’s not alone.This gesture of kindness and friendship allows Bob to stave off his dark thoughts and embrace a brighter tomorrow, saving the MCU from one of the most powerful beings they have ever introduced.
Defeating a villain with a hug makes for a unique way to stop any antagonist. However, it also shows the importance and overall emotional intelligence of the film’s story. Each character was struggling with their mental health, some even seemed potentially suicidal, and yet the dark thoughts were defeated by having a support system that was there in a time of need.Thunderboltssees Marvel embracingthe often bleak realities of mental health struggles, showing they are ready to tell more complex stories.The team behind the film also ensured the story highlighted positive ways to help, such as talking to others about your struggles and having a support system, whether it’s friends, family, or the antiheroes found along the way. At its core, theThunderboltsis about understanding that it’s okay not to be okay, because even the strongest people sometimes need help.
