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Thunderbolts*
Movie

Thunderbolts*

2025 • Action, Adventure, Crime

Woke Score
6
out of 10

Plot

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must go on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Overall Series Review

The film focuses on a black-ops team of antiheroes led by a manipulative government official who forces them on a suicide mission. The core plot quickly shifts from a traditional action-thriller to a dark, character-focused study, centering on psychological trauma, mental health struggles, and the importance of a found support system. The primary conflict is not against an external political or social enemy, but against the inner demon of a powerful male character, Bob/Sentry, whose dark side is the manifestation of his unchecked ego and profound despair. The story is distinctly secular, framing every moral question and character arc through the lens of personal therapy and the healing power of a 'chosen family.' Female characters, particularly Yelena Belova and the mastermind Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, are consistently depicted in roles of high competence, authority, and leadership, while the male characters are largely defined by their personal failures or comedic lack of relevance.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The ensemble features a diverse cast, but the narrative focuses on individual trauma and redemption rather than systemic oppression or identity-based hierarchy. The villain is an internally conflicted white male whose struggle is psychological, not a symbol of 'whiteness.' Male characters like John Walker and Red Guardian, while often the source of comedy, are still given moments of competence and emotional resonance.

Oikophobia5/10

The plot's central conflict is initiated by a corrupt American government/CIA figure, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who manipulates the team, reflecting a deep-seated hostility toward powerful Western institutions and bureaucracy. The solution to the characters' problems is explicitly defined as a 'chosen family' and sound support system, which inherently deconstructs and replaces the traditional institutions (military, nation, family) that have failed them. This critique of the nation's integrity receives a moderate score.

Feminism7/10

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is the unquestioned 'epicenter' and 'de facto leader' of the team, guiding the emotional and moral direction of the film. The main antagonist and architect of the team is another highly powerful female character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, placing women at the apex of both the heroic and villainous power structures. The narrative prioritizes the female leads' competence and emotional depth while the two primary male antiheroes are frequently depicted as bumbling, desperate, or comedic figures, fitting the 'Girl Boss' dynamic despite all characters being flawed.

LGBTQ+1/10

The plot summary and commentary do not contain any references to alternative sexualities, gender ideology, or the promotion of a 'Queer Theory Lens.' The focus remains entirely on character trauma, mental health, and the team dynamic, maintaining a normative structure in terms of sexual identity presentation.

Anti-Theism7/10

The core moral battle is framed entirely in secular terms: the villain is The Void, a personification of ego, despair, and mental illness, not a traditional force of evil. The only solution offered is 'therapy,' 'processing our darkest thoughts,' and the 'healing power of chosen family,' which constitutes a wholly subjective, psychological moral framework that replaces any notion of objective, transcendent moral or religious law.