Thunderbolts* (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Stephen Bjork
Review Date: Aug 01, 2025
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Jake Schreier

Release Date(s)

2025 (July 29, 2025)

Studio(s)

Marvel Studios/Disney (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Film/Program Grade: B+
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: A-
Extras Grade: B

Review

It’s all in the asterisk.

Superficially, Thunderbolts* may seem to be just that: a footnote to the rest of the MCU, a random collection of rejects from other storylines who had nowhere else to go. And to be fair, that’s exactly how Marvel promoted it, leaning heavily into the Suicide Squad angle of a group of castoffs being recruited to work together against their will. Yet while they do end up working together (more or less, anyway), this isn’t really a team-up like the Suicide Squad. These aren’t former villains called up by the government in order to fight a greater evil, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is no Amanda Waller. She’s not offering any amnesty here in exchange for their services—as a matter of fact, she’s not offering much of anything at all. This isn’t even her team; instead, they’re a millstone around her neck.

As Thunderbolts* opens, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is working for Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who is facing impeachment as the head of the CIA, with senior congressman Gary (Wendell Pierce) and freshman congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) hot on her heels. Yelena is still dealing with the death of her sister Natasha, and she’s also struggling to accept herself and what she’s become. She tries to reconnect with her adopted father Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), who still dreams of his glory days as the Red Guardian. That goes about as well as you would expect, so she agrees to take one last job from Valentina: a clandestine mission to infiltrate a secret bunker. There, Yelena encounters John Walker/Secret Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), as well as the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman), who can’t remember how he got there. Everyone is in the bunker under false pretenses, and as things heat up, they’re forced to set aside their differences in order to survive.

To say more about Thunderbolts* is to say too much about Thunderbolts*, although frankly, the Disney/Marvel marketing department hasn’t helped much in that regard (more on that later). There aren’t many narrative surprises, at least up until the end, but it’s still better to see how things unfold with as little foreknowledge as possible—although not for the reasons that you might think. Yes, there is a major, shared universe altering event that will affect the entire MCU, but it doesn’t necessarily diminish anything if that surprise ends up getting spoiled (unlike the way that the trailers for Captain America: Brave New World revealed the presence of Red Hulk, which negatively impacted that film). No, the reason why it’s best to let the story of Thunderbolts* unfold naturally is because nearly everything that happens ends up defining the characters, and the progression of the narrative mirrors the personal arcs that they undergo.

Those who dismiss the entire MCU as nothing more than vacuous theme park spectacle have overlooked the single biggest reason why Marvel has been so successful: their characters. While Thanos and the Infinity Stones never offered more than the most tenuous of threads to tie the first three phases of the MCU together, the extended family dynamic between the core Avengers is what kept audiences coming back for more. People really cared about Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Stephen Strange, T’Challa, and all the rest. When audiences roared with approval as Captain America was finally able to wield Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame, it wasn’t because of the ass-kicking spectacle, but rather because they understood exactly what that meant about Steve Rogers. And speaking as someone who was there in a packed theatre in 2019, listening to grown men weep openly over Tony Stark, I can vouch for the fact that people did indeed care about these characters.

That’s been the biggest issues with the last three phases of the MCU—not necessarily the fact that Kang has been a much more nebulous threat than Thanos was, but rather that the multiversic, multimedia nature of the shared storytelling has made the relationships between the characters equally nebulous and disconnected. And that’s why Thunderbolts* is so significant for the MCU going forward. Like the previous superhero team-ups that drove the first three phases, it lays the groundwork for Phase 6 by bringing together existing characters and putting them through an interpersonal blender. While they may seem like a random collection of also-rans, they’re really nothing of the sort, because director Jake Schreier and screenwriters Eric Pearson & Joanna Calo had a clear goal in mind for the film.

Again, this isn’t Suicide Squad, or even Birds of Prey for that matter—these aren’t supervillains at all, but rather birds with broken wings. The one thing that ties them together is that they’ve all experienced traumatic events in their lives and haven’t figured out how to process that yet. They have stains in their pasts that time hasn’t washed away, and they’ve been unwilling or unable to deal with it. Like WandaVision and Moon Knight before it, Thunderbirds* is really about just that: processing trauma. Sure, there’s still a city-threatening finale where the team has to work together in order to save lives, but in practice, even that serves as a way to help them work out their hangups.

That’s why the choice of the Sentry and his counterpart the Void as the source of the threat was so crucial. He’s not really the antagonist at all, but rather someone who struggles to keep his dark side at bay. He’s capable of erasing memories, but he’s also capable of causing others to relive their troublesome pasts. As a result, the stakes of his final confrontation with the Thunderbolts quickly transitions from the epic to the personal. The Void’s powers can’t be overcome through sheer blunt force, but they can be kept under control if everyone else manages to work through their own issues while simultaneously helping him to deal with his. Schreier even has the temerity to throw in an openly cornball “Very Special Episode” moment of togetherness that has no right to work at all, but dammit, it works like a charm anyway.

That’s also why this iteration of the Thunderbolts is quite different than any of the previous ones. While it may have seemed like a golden opportunity to include Daniel Brühl’s memorable version of Baron Zemo, the comic book Zemo was the leader of a very different group of Thunderbolts, one that was created by him for thoroughly nefarious purposes. While Pearson has said that Zemo made an appearance in earlier drafts of the script, it’s for the best that he was ultimately omitted. That’s because the MCU Zemo ended up working through his own traumatic past in Captain America: Civil War, and he already served the forces of good (albeit reluctantly) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Similarly, while much has been made of the fact that Taskmaster doesn’t have a bigger role here, her own arc had received something of a tenuous resolution at the end of Black Widow (plus, her exit from the story is a way to raise the stakes for everyone else.)

In contrast, Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, John Walker, Ava Starr, and even Bob are all very much works in progress. Granted, Bucky Barnes has been processing his own dubious past on an ongoing basis, but there are other reasons why he eventually gets involved with the Thunderbolts (and the fact that he’s already been making amends is dispensed with by a single hilarious line during the finale). Yet while everyone is given their moment to shine in Thunderbolts*, the film is proof positive that Yelena deserves to be the central character in the MCU going forward. Florence Pugh is wonderful in the role (has she ever been anything else?), and she’s more than worthy of the opportunity to become the face of the current franchise the same way that Tony Stark was the face of the Infinity War run. (Just don’t muck her up, Kevin Feige. Please.)

Of course, in any shared universe like the MCU, the rest of that universe must intrude, and once the Thunderbolts have resolved their personal issues (though not necessarily their interpersonal ones), Thunderbolts* ends with the aforementioned twist that has massive implications for the direction(s) that the next few Marvel films will take. Once again, it was all in the asterisk. Those implications are further toyed with during the closing credits, and not just in the mid-credits and post-credits scenes, either. The credits themselves are arguably the best that the MCU has ever produced, functioning not just as texture but rather as a way to advance the story, bridging the gap between this film and the next. It all raises more questions than it answers, but that’s the whole point. Even the credits in Thunderbolts* are more than just a footnote.

(*Inevitable real-world footnote: I wrote most of the above after seeing Thunderbolts* on opening weekend, and as I hinted earlier, the Disney/Marvel marketing department pulled a switcheroo a week later that revealed the twist at the end of the film. That may have been their way of dealing with the fact that you can’t keep secrets in the internet age, but like the Red Hulk reveal in the trailers for Brave New World, it’s giving away too much. If you’ve somehow avoided it, close your eyes, stick your fingers in your ears, and say “la la la” until you’ve had a chance to see Thunderbolts* first. But good luck with that these days.)

Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo captured Thunderbolts* digitally (at 4.6K resolution) primarily using Arri Alexa 35 cameras with Panavision Ultra Panatar II anamorphic lenses at a 1.3 squeeze. The resulting 2.39:1 image was letterboxed within the full sensor 1.95:1 frame, which was opened up to 1.90:1 for the IMAX sequences. (A few shots were captured on Mini LF and Red Komodo-X instead.) Post-production work was completed as a 4K Digital Intermediate, framed at the variable aspect ratios of 2.39:1 and 1.90:1 for digital IMAX exhibition, and at static 2.39:1 for everywhere else. Typical for Disney physical media releases, this version retains the 2.39:1 framing only, but for once this seems to be as much a creative decision as a financial one. Palermo told American Cinematographer that he finds the shifting aspect ratios to be “weird” outside of an IMAX theatre, and insisted that the film would be 2.39:1 only for home viewing. (Thunderbolts* isn’t available for streaming on Disney+ as of this writing, so it’s unknown if the IMAX version will be available there after all, but if it is, that will be against Palermo’s wishes.)

Unlike Captain America: Brave New World, which went out of its way to replicate the look of Kodak VISION3 500T 5219 color negative film, Thunderbolts* embraces a crisp digital appearance. It’s sharper and clearer, with much better resolved textural detail. It doesn’t hurt that most of the film was shot on location or else on large-scale backlot sets, so while there’s still plenty of CGI enhancement on display, enough of the base image was captured for real that it makes a genuine difference—and it shows, too. (While I’ve never been able to prove this, I suspect that much or even most of the abundant visual effects work in MCU titles is rendered at 2K and upscaled later, even when the final DI is 4K.) Palermo oversaw the grading for SDR, EDR (for Dolby Cinema screens), HDR, and IMAX, explaining to ASC that “the differences between those passes were minor. Home video received a bit of a contrast bump.” This is indeed a restrained HDR grade (both Dolby Vision and HDR10 are included), but that contrast bump does help resolve the gradations on either end of the range. There’s a touch more detail visible within the bright highlights, and dark elements like the black wash over the Void reveal more of the subtle details to his shadowy being. Like everything else to do with Thunderbolts*, the video quality may be relatively low-key, but it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Primary audio is offered in an English Dolby Atmos mix that keeps to the same theme. There are a lot more quiet moments than in some other MCU titles, but there’s always a subtle sense of immersion that fills the entire soundstage, overhead channels included. Yet most of it doesn’t call attention to itself, so this may not be the best demo material if you want to show off your new ceiling speakers. That said, it springs to life when appropriate, especially during the action scenes and inside the crumbling pocket universe that the Void creates. There’s plenty of dynamic slam during those moments and a decent quantity of deep bass, even though it still doesn’t quite plumb the depths like some of the most potent Atmos mixes do. The score for Thunderbolts* by Son Lux (Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang) is in a similar vein to the fine work that they did for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and it’s yet another low-key element in Thunderbolts* that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Additional audio options include English Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, and Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus. Subtitle options include English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Disney’s 4K Ultra HD release of Thunderbolts* is a two-disc set that includes a Blu-ray with a 1080p copy of the film, as well as a Digital Code on a paper insert tucked inside the case. It also includes a slipcover that duplicates the revised theatrical artwork on the insert—and yes, I still don’t like the giveaway. (As usual, the whole thing is pointlessly branded as a Cinematic Universe Edition but at least this time I’m annoyed enough by the footnote that I’ll let the redundant branding go.) Sony has provided a Steelbook option, as well. Aside from the commentary track, all of the extras are on the Blu-ray only, and they’re all in HD:

DISC ONE: UHD

Audio Commentary by Jake Schreier

DISC TWO: BD

Audio Commentary by Jake Schreier
Around the World and Back Again (9:13)
Assembling a Team to Remember (7.29)
All About Bob, Sentry, & The Void (10:36)
Gag Reel (3:00)
Deleted Scenes:
- The Door Is Unliftable (:31)
- Gary Announcement (:21)

Jake Schreier recorded his commentary the day that Thunderbolts* was released, and he admits that he was feeling a bit worn out from the press tour. It’s definitely not the most energetic track, but he still offers some interesting information in his own low-key fashion. He breaks down each scene and why he made the decisions that he did, and while he does point out things that were shot practically, he’s not shy about acknowledging the CGI as well. He offers plenty of praise for the cast and crew in the process (especially for Florence Pugh, because of course especially for Florence Pugh). He also breaks down the story on a thematic level, and offers his thoughts about the characters.

Aside from the usual unfunny Gag Reel and two Deleted Scenes consisting of microscopic trims that were barely worth including here, the rest of the extras are all cursory EPK style featurettes. They do offer some glimpses behind the scenes, as well as interviews with Jake Schreier, screenwriters Eric Pearson & Joanna Calo, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, executive producer Brian Chapek, co-producer Allana Williams, costume designer Sanja Hays, and more.

Around the World and Back Again focuses on the base jump off the Merdeka 118 building in Kuala Lumpur, both Florence Pugh’s brief descender rig drop and the actual base jump performed by stuntperson Catherine Hansen and cameraperson Pat Walker. It also touches on the setup with the exploding building (and yes, like many other things in the film, that explosion was shot for real). Assembling a Team to Remember looks at the story and the relationship between the characters, especially Yelena and Alexi. All About Bob, Sentry, & The Void pretty much says it all in the title—except for the fact that it’s not really all that could be said about the character(s), of course, just the EPK version of it. It still serves as a limited introduction to the world of Sentry and The Void. No Assembled making of, alas, but it’s a decent commentary track and the featurettes are all watchable (even if they lack real depth).

Thunderbolts* failed to find an audience during its theatrical release, fading away quickly and positing a tepid $190 million—not exactly the lowest-grossing MCU film ever, but it’s near the bottom of the list (and joined by some early titles like Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger that would beat it if adjusted for inflation). That’s a shame, because too many people missed out on one of the most satisfying MCU installments in some time. It’s not flashy, and it’s not filled with superheros that have marquee value, but it returns to the focus on the interrelationships between the characters that made the Infinity Saga so successful. Don’t make the mistake of skipping it. Florence Pugh needs your support. ‘Nuff said.

- Stephen Bjork

(You can follow Stephen on social media at these links: Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Letterboxd).