With its focus on character dynamics and interpersonal relationships, new Marvel movie Thunderbolts* feels like the MCU's most grounded and self-contained project in a very long time, especially after the multiversal mayhem of 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine.

Jeff Parker’s Thunderbolts run uncaged one of the most unorthodox teams in the comic’s history. While heroes like Hawkeye, Luke Cage, and the Winter Soldier have served as part of the Thunderbolts, the team’s ever-evolving roster typically consisted of supervillains — some reformed,