It's been a couple of months now since my last written movie review, and ironically it was for the first Marvel Studios release for the year in "Captain America: Brave New World" - which was an ok superhero film but not as great as previous releases in the grander scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Sam Wilson's film debut as the new Star Spangled Avenger was hardly a disappointment, fans were then left wondering just when the MCU would pull itself together and deliver another movie that echoed the quality of films from "The Infinity Saga" - where heroes would go through character development and story arcs that would propel them to become better figures even after the adventure was over.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* | 'Wrong' Trailer | April 30, 2025
Well it looks like we're finally seeing the shake up we've been waiting for, as Marvel gathers the most unlikely line-up of anti-heroes, villains, and "disposable delinquents" that were seen in past MCU movies and are now banding together to fill the literal "Void" left in the wake of the disbandment of the Avengers after the events of "Avengers: Endgame". Say hello to the Thunderbolts*... And there's a reason why there's an asterisk in the title too - which I will not spoil in this review but will certainly make sense once you dive into the film and watch it all the way to the end!
Thanks to the lovely folks at Marvel Philippines and Ardent Communications, I got to see the film not once, but TWICE - once on the night before the movie opened in cinemas on April 30, and on opening morning itself in a special fan screening alongside my fellow fans, friends, and cosplayers too! It was certainly experiences I haven't felt so much hype for since the last two Avengers films were released in 2018 and 2019 - and something we sorely missed looking forward to especially after going through a pandemic and we had to go through a number of years building to another big team-up film the evoked the same feelings from those films and even the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. This was a film that certainly explored many feelings and issues - especially themes of mental health, being outcasts, and finding purpose and meaning when everything seems to go wrong in one's life.
Taking place some time after the events of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* sees the late Natasha Romanoff's sister Yelena Belova working as a shadow operative for CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine - who is facing impeachment for her illegal activities and is under trial by the United States government. To clean up her mess, she pits Yelena against her other agents that include former Captain America John Walker/ U.S. Agent and the phasing Ava Starr aka Ghost. Their battle takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a seemingly regular guy named Bob, and even more so when they cross with Yelena's adopted father Red Guardian and the former Winter Soldier turned US Congressman Bucky Barnes. When a powerful force none of them could have imagined threatens them and innocent people, these unlikely heroes band together and form a team that has adopted the name "Thunderbolts" - named after Yelena's soccer team from her childhood.
Directed by Jake Schreier and absolutely one of the most unexpected turn arounds that Marvel Studios has gotten to get fans invested and excited again, Thunderbolts* is a breath of fresh air that the MCU needed to get the ball rolling again and is the perfect way to wrap up Phase 5 and set up what’s to come down the road. Honestly enjoyed the chemistry of the entire cast / especially Florence Pugh and David Harbour reprising their roles as Yelena and Alexei. They have the perfect dysfunctional daughter-father relationship, and it speaks about the growth of both characters and Yelena’s turn in the spotlight and following in her late sister’s footsteps. She’s the VIP and core in this film too, and you can resonate with her struggles on a personal level.
It’s also great to see Sebastian Stan back as Bucky Barnes - having grown well beyond being a brainwashed assassin and now trying to move on with his life and serve as a US congressman outside of being a soldier. Of course we know bigger things bring him back to the fight, and he ends up being the de facto leader if the misfits who come to be known as the Thunderbolts. It’s also great to see Wyatt Russell back as John Walker/ U.S. Agent - who has fallen from grace since the events of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and no longer being Captain America to boot. The redemption arc is what you want to see with these guys - and it’s especially a surprise to see Hannah John-Kamen kick ass as Ghost and the strange and peculiar role Luis Pullman has as Bob - aka The Sentry and The Void. That is a character comic book fans have been wondering how the MCU will adapt, and for the most part it works well and is also commentary on struggles individuals with no emotional support go through. All these characters work through their baggage, and end up becoming something more when they actually get to work together and lean on to each other.
So is Thunderbolts* worth it? ABSOLUTELY and is A MUST SEE to prepare for what’s to come when we finally reach the new Avengers films coming in 2026 and 2026. It’s not a perfect blend and you really need to have followed past MCU films and shows to really know the backstory of most of these characters, but these band of delinquents are a case study on what it means to overcome any obstacles and difficulties life will throw at you, and in the end you become something more and come out better for it too.
A lot of time has passed since we last saw a solo Captain America movie hit theaters, and a LOT of things have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has led to some big and everlasting changes since the events of "Avengers Infinity War" and "Avengers Endgame". Among the many shifts to the status quo was Steve Rogers traveling back in time to live a happy life with his World War II era love interest Peggy Carter, becoming an old man in the process and passing on the mantle of Captain America to one of his closest allies and confidants in Sam Wilson, also known as the Falcon and a fellow veteran and soldier himself. His coming to terms and accepting the mantle of Cap was chronicled in the 2021 MCU TV Series "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" - which hit during the middle of the pandemic and during a time when Marvel Studios was delivering a lot of media to propel their "Multiverse Saga" forward but with little connective blocks to leave fans invested in the bigger picture.
Captain America: Brave New World Trailer
Fast forward to 2025, and Marvel Studios is once again releasing three MCU films after taking a break last year with just one major release in "Deadpool and Wolverine". The first movie on the calendar and released during Valentine's Day weekend no less is "Captain America: Brave New World" - which will be the very first Captain America film without Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and putting the spotlight solely on Anthony Mackie's Sam as the new Star Spangled Avenger.
Thanks to Marvel Philippines and SM Cinema, I was able to catch a very special advance screening of the film on IMAX last February 11 along with the new exhibit launch that features a gallery, playable games, and photo booths and display areas inspired by "Captain America: Brave New World" - including life-sized statues of Sam Wilson as Captain America and the gamma powered alter-ego of Thaddeus Ross himself, the Red Hulk! Check out my coverage of the entire experience below!
Captain America: Brave New World PH Premiere and Exhibit Launch ⭐️ (Feb. 11, 2025)
TFATWS established the themes of legacy, racial and political issues, and following in the footsteps of one of the world's greatest heroes, and now Sam is now firmly into his tenure as Captain America for a couple of years and carrying the stars and stripes without any super soldier serum powering his veins... Now he faces a conspiracy that threatens to undo a treaty that involves a new element found in a celestial mass, as well as butting heads with newly elected US president Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross - who is now played by legendary veteran actor Harrison Ford. The stakes couldn't be higher for Sam - and he has to shine through and be the hero that wields the shield and continues the fight for what's right as the new Captain America.
As an action film, Brave New World hits all the right spots on the checklist - it's a no brainer Marvel Studios production that has superheroes flying, shields tossed at bad guys, and hulks smashing and destroying everything on their path. It tries to emulate the espionage and political themes that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" had and encapsulated perfectly - but it falls short and instead focuses on trying to address other lingering plotlines and themes that were established in previous MCU films - most notably "The Incredible Hulk" and "Eternals". Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford lead the charge and play their roles very well with charisma and determination, but the other players in the cast like Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/ Falcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, and Shira Hass only have so much to do other than carry the plot forward from point A to B. Lumbly in particular should have had a larger presence after TFATWS and what was initially seen in the trailer, but for the rest of the film he sadly hangs in the sidelines as a prisoner.
For the most part of the movie, Mackie's Cap is caught in a mess that prominently features Hulk supporting characters - with the aforementioned Thaddeus Ross as US president AND Red Hulk, and a returning Timothy Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, there were plenty of Captain America related subplots that took the backseat because of it - specifically the Serpent Society who were just limited to being hired mercs and only Giancarlo Esposito getting the sole screentime as the group's leader Sidewinder, and even that wasn't enough. One has to wonder what kind of film this originally was supposed to be without the changes and reshoots done - from being initially called "Serpent Society" to "New World Order", and finally settling on its final title "Brave New World" - and even that didn't have much of a payoff once the dust was cleared other than a tease that most audiences already knew.
While the product is certainly better than I initially expected it to be, Captain America: Brave New World just plays it safe and doesn't really bring some big change or revelation to the MCU table. There's no doubt it was entertaining and the fight scenes with Anthony Mackie as Cap and seeing Harrison Ford Hulk out and smash is awesome, but this movie could have been something more and brought significant developments to Sam Wilson's tenure as Cap. We'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out once the other MCU films and shows arrive - especially the inevitable ensemble movies with the new Avengers movies starting next year and in 2027.
It’s been a LONG TIME since I wrote a proper movie review here, and ironically it’s been over a year since the last one (July 2023)! However now’s a good time as any to get back in the game for this - because one of the most anticipated films of 2024 and the ONLY Marvel Studios movie of the year is finally out, and it’s Deadpool and Wolverine!
After the acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its Marvel properties by Disney, the X-Men are finally home and can officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe under the leadership of Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios. That means there’s no line separating the Avengers from the likes of Deadpool and Wolverine, and those two FINALLY have the chance to go balls to the walls with the rest of the Marvel Universe!
Thanks to Marvel Philippines, Disney Philippines, Ardent Communications, and SM Cinema, I got to see this superhero film way ahead of its release last July 23 in a special #DeadpoolandWolverinePH advance screening event - and I even suited up and detailed the experience here at my own YouTube channel! Take a look at the highlights below!
Now, on to the review of the first R-Rated movie of Marvel Studios - Deadpool and Wolverine!❤️💛🔥
As the 34th film entry in the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is the eponymous team-up movie between The Merc With A Mouth and The Best There Is At What He Does - as they officially enter the Marvel Multiverse and sees the unlikely duo work together to save Wade Wilson’s universe from being erased from existence. Since the Logan from his world died years ago after giving his life in an act of noble sacrifice, Wade Wilson is forced to look for a Wolverine from a different universe who can help him save the ones he loves. Unfortunately this Logan variant is less than pleased to work with an annoying mouthpiece who refuses to shut up, leading to some combustible interactions and lots of bloody arguments between the two. They’ll have to learn to put their differences aside though - as they deal with agents from the TVA, lots of different variants, and the telepathic twin sister of Charles Xavier from another world known as Cassandra Nova.
As a superhero movie, Deadpool & Wolverine delivers the goods and action as promoted in its massive marketing campaign - giving us Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman at their very best as they make the transition from the 20th Century Fox universe of X-Men and Marvel films to the MCU as crafted so carefully and lovingly by Marvel Studios. This is definitely a crowd pleaser film that will get lots of fanboys happy - especially in the case of Jackman’s Wolverine as he FINALLY puts on the yellow and blue superhero outfit on and it only took 20+ years to do so! Hugh’s literally looking like he never aged and will always be the first man to play Logan in the big screen - and that legacy is so well respected by Kevin Feige and movie director Shawn Levy that his performance in this film is absolute top notch and brings manly tears to fanboys hearts. He is and will always be WOLVERINE and there’s a punctuation mark attached to that, bub!
Of course the main man and very talkative lead has to be acknowledged too, and Ryan Reynolds never skips a beat breaking the 4th wall and making people laugh with his performance as Deadpool. Wade Wilson is a man who will shut up and loves to get a lot of people pissed at his antics, and his delivery is so on point it’s amazing to finally see the character join the Marvel Studios family and dish out some R-Rated jokes and brutal kills in an MCU film. His banter with Jackman’s Logan is pure cinematic gold, and you’ll laugh and get a kick out of this Lethal Weapon odd couple duo from start to finish. It also helps that the soundtrack of the movie is a kickass selection of nostalgic and iconic tracks - led by Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” which will have you humming and singing until you see the post-credits scene and walk out of the theater happy.
Of course there’s more to Deadpool & Wolverine than just its two main stars, and you also have to give props to Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Rob Delaney as Pete Wisdom, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, and Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Paradox. All performed their roles brilliantly and well to serve the plot, and there are also PLENTY OF SUPPORTING ROLES AND CAMEOS that I want to refrain from mentioning as this movie should be experienced by all and I’m saving those surprises for you to see.
While certainly not a perfect production and it has its flaws (which are minor and only concern pacing and the plot), I really enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine and it’s the kind of film Marvel Studios’ needed to put out to bring fans back to the MCU game. With this entry we see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman deliver their A-Games as Wade Wilson and Logan, and they deliver superhero action without any reservation or restraint to the applause and cheers of fans worldwide. Lots of fanservice, easter eggs, and iconic tracks. It’s fun, brutal, and absolutely A MUST WATCH, BUB!
