One of the reasons this movie is one of the MCU’s best in years is that it doesn’t undercut its serious subject matter.
Major spoilers for Thunderbolts* ahead
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Is the MCU back? That seems to be the prevailing narrative that has surrounded the MCU’s newest movie, Thunderbolts* (or should we say The New Avengers) since its release at the start of May. The movie is unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU in years with its story that centers on a group of anti-heroes coming together to form an unlikely team (not to mention the implications the ending has for the MCU moving forward).
Is the movie perfect? Not quite. A dragging second act and uneven character development at times dock a few points off the score, but it is a competent film, and it gets its biggest flowers for how it tackles and explores themes of loneliness, depression, and mental health.
There’s a lighthearted yet also needed seriousness behind the movie’s vibe in how it doesn’t use mental health as a joke but approaches it with the depth and nuance the subject matter needs, while leaving the viewer with a positive message. Thunderbolts* is lowkey relatable for people who have gone through the struggle of loneliness and feeling like you’re not enough, and the way the movie tackles those themes leaves quite a few lessons worth taking long after the credits have rolled. Here are some of the most poignant ones we spotted.
IT’S NOT HEALTHY TO KEEP YOUR LONELINESS ON THE INSIDE
During a scene when the team is trapped in the vault, Yelena tells Bob that the way to deal with that empty void inside of you is to push it down. Clearly, that wasn’t the way to go. Each member of the team had a dark past they tried to ignore. But the problem with trying to ignore past trauma is that it just gets bigger and bigger to the point where it can swallow you whole. That’s the whole point of the Void, the physical manifestation of Bob’s trauma, depression, and self-destructiveness. He even traps his victims in shame rooms, illusions that represent their worst fears and memories.
What we can learn from the movie, especially from Bob and Yelena, is that keeping your struggles on the inside is not the way to go, and being openly vulnerable about it is a step in the right direction. That scene where Yelena tells her father that she’s lonely hits us like a ton of bricks. It made for a powerful scene that spoke to how pain doesn’t always mean weakness nor is being close to your emotions a bad thing.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE THERE FOR YOU
One of the movie’s most notable themes is the idea of how we as individuals deal with loneliness. When it feels like the whole world has forgotten you, what do you do? For many of the film’s protagonists, that meant taking it out on what remaining relationships they had or drowning themselves in distractions and vices that only delay the inevitable.
But even when it feels like there’s nothing left for you, there actually is, and there will be people there to support you. The Thunderbolts prove that you are not alone and that there are people in this world who will show you empathy and a helping hand. So whether you’re going through things or are someone who shows up for others, don’t carry the burden of hardship alone.
EVEN THE UNLIKELIEST PEOPLE CAN BE REDEEMED
When the anti-heroes first meet each other at the vault, they are a random group of people meant to be disposed of as part of Valentina’s plan to keep her skeletons buried. They had nothing going for them, forgotten relics with a dark past trying and failing to chase their glory days, yet not only did they save New York City, but they also ended up becoming the New Avengers (albeit not because they wanted to). By the movie’s end, they found their redemption and played a part in each other’s character growth. It really goes to show that anyone is capable of change for the good so long as the intentions are pure and rooted in what’s right.
FIND YOUR PURPOSE
In the movie’s opening minutes, Yelena makes it clear that she is lonely and doesn’t know what she’s doing. She thought that throwing herself into work constantly would fill that empty void. Her work was unsatisfying and what family she had left rarely spoke with her. But as the movie progresses, Yelena realizes that she wants something more to do in her life than just secret missions.
Many of us aren’t super spies, but we can relate to Yelena’s thinking of being busy at work as a solution to dealing with ennui and aimlessness. Yet, that is not the way to go. It doesn’t address the root cause. As Yelena shows us, that emptiness can only be addressed if you give yourself time to reflect and see what exactly speaks to your purpose and passion.
GETTING BETTER STARTS FROM WITHIN
Whether you’re a student or a superpowered being who can rival the strongest heroes in the MCU, we all have our internal struggles. In Bob’s case, the trauma of growing up with an abusive father led him down a road of addiction and depression, which eventually led him to the medical experiment that turned him into Sentry. Unfortunately, his powers also turned his inner trauma and fear into an all-consuming alter ego called the Void that literally swallows everything in darkness.
Yet, there is still hope. In the movie, they defeat the Void not through battle, but by facing their inner demons and trauma head-on by literally entering and stepping into the void. They won because of internal resolution, which honestly is a powerful message to have for an MCU movie. We really are our own worst enemy sometimes, but we also have the power to not fall deeper into a dark hole when we face our struggles with honesty and genuine compassion. This also doesn’t mean you need to win on day one. Give yourself the space and grace to deal with it one day at a time, and you will get there.
CHASING SUPERFICIAL HIGHS IS NOT THE ANSWER
From Yelena throwing herself into work to Bob taking the super serum, the way our anti-heroes tried to find solutions to what was eating them on the inside is honestly something a lot of us do (minus the MCU-ness of it all, of course). It might seem easier to turn to external distractions rather than recognize the need to healthily deal with our mental health. But more often than not, doing so will not get the job done.
The worst-case scenario happened with Bob in how his inner turmoil and depression nearly covered New York City in darkness. Gaining superpowers did not solve Bob’s problems, nor did Yelena’s many missions. What made them get on the right path was realizing, with the help of a little introspection, that they are of value, have meaning, and their presence means something to the people around them. We all have our bad days, and we’re allowed to feel our feels. But we’re also doing our best, so don’t let the noise of the outside world distract you from what matters.
Photos courtesy of Disney
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