Thunderbolts*

The 2025 American superhero film directed by Jake Schreier, with a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, is the 36th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and concludes Phase Five of the franchise. The narrative centers on a group of antiheroes, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ava Starr / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Bob / Sentry / Void (Steven Yeun), and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who are manipulated by the CIA into undertaking a perilous mission. Throughout the film, the team confronts Sentry, a powerful super-soldier grappling with his dark alter ego, the Void. The story delves into themes of moral ambiguity, redemption, and team dynamics, highlighting the characters' internal conflicts and personal struggles. In the climax, the team is rebranded as the "New Avengers," a change reflected in the end credits and subsequent marketing materials. A post-credit scene reveals a spacecraft bearing the Fantastic Four insignia approaching Earth, hinting at future crossovers within the MCU. The film received positive reviews from critics for its performances, particularly those of Pugh and Stan, and for its fresh take on the superhero genre. Released on May 2, 2025, the film grossed $160.5 million worldwide.