Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Thunderbolts*’
If you look atThunderboltsandCaptain America: Brave New World, they don’t share that much in common besides being the latest Marvel Studios releases.Thunderboltsisreceiving acclaim from fansand critics alike, whileCaptain America:Brave New Worldhad a less-than-stellar reception. The former is an ensemble of “disposable delinquents,” as the Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) so eloquently puts it; the latter is a solo piece that findsSam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)caught in a massive conspiracy. WhileCaptain America: Brave New Worldis more of a standalone adventure,Thunderbolts*ends with a major tease fornot one, buttwoupcoming MCU entries. Butboth films end on a surprisingly similar, and subversive, note, and more superhero media should take notes.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ and ‘Thunderbolts’ Find a Different Way To Defeat an All-Powerful Enemy
Prior to their releases, the major buzz aroundThunderboltsandCaptain America: Brave New Worldwas surrounding the major threats the heroes were going up against. InCaptain America: Brave New World, it’s Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), the former general turned President, who, due to the manipulations of Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), becomes the gamma-fueled powerhouse known as the Red Hulk.Thunderboltsfeatures an even deadlier presence in the form of Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman). Bob’s the sole subject of a medical procedure that transforms him into the solar-powered being known as the Sentry…but also unfurls the darker half of his nature, which is referred to as the Void. Fans were wonderinghow Sam and the Thunderbolts could overcome this dangerously powerful duo. All of them are skilled fighters, but don’t possess any superpowers or abilities that would give them an edge.
Both films even address the power imbalance. The climax ofCaptain America: Brave New Worldsees the Red Hulk tossing Sam around like a rag doll, even tearing through his seemingly indestructible adamantium wings. When Bob first becomes the Sentry, the Thunderbolts are wholly unprepared for how strong he really is. In the end,Thunderbolts*andCaptain America: Brave New Worldboth end with their respective heroeshaving a heart-to-heart with their foes. Sam is able to talk Ross down by appealing to his better nature, saying that Ross should strive to be the man who reconnects with his daughter, Betty (Liv Tyler). The Thunderbolts are also able to help Bob when he’s swallowed up in the Void, braving their own fears to comfort him in his literal darkest hour. While some fans might scoff at the idea of talking down the bad guy, it’s fitting for these heroes.
Sam Wilson and the Thunderbolts Score Victories That Represent Their Characters
Having Sam Wilson beat a Hulk by talking it down isn’t just an ingenious way to win a fight against a Hulk (and probably the only way he could have won). Itspeaks to Sam’s nature to help people. When he was in the Air Force, he carried out pararescue missions, and when he came back home, he ran counseling sessions for veterans. His speech to Ross is an extension of that character trait, as he’s able to pinpoint that Ross' lingering anger and desire to control adamantium is the fallout from his fractured relationship with Betty — by letting go of that anger, Ross can actually begin to reconnect with Betty.Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)puts it best: “Steve gave people something to believe in, but you, you give them something to aspire to.” That statement could also apply to the Thunderbolts.Each of them has committed some dark acts in their past, eventually leading to them being targeted by Valentina de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), but they manage to overcome that darkness to save Bob. It makes their rebranding as the New Avengers all the more fitting. After all, the original Avengers had to overcome their own hangups to save the world.
Thunderbolts*andCaptain America: Brave New Worlddon’t just play to their protagonists' strengths, butalso show that not every superhero movie needs to end with fighting the villain. If you want the genre to truly thrive, you have to think outside the box. Given that all of these heroes are slated to appear inAvengers: Doomsday, perhaps they can hold a group therapy session with Doctor Doom.
Thunderbolts*is now playing in theaters.
Thunderbolts*
