Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
May 17, 2025
Table of Contents
When Marvel Studios First Revealed the ‘Thunderbolts’ Lineup in 2022, Fans Had Little to No Expectations for Any Success Rate
For over a year, ‘Thunderbolts’ was mysteriously rebranded as ‘Thunderbolts’* in official Marvel materials — prompting endless Reddit threads, TikTok speculation, and theories ranging from multiversal incursions to Deadpool-level fourth wall breaks.
But as production quietly ramped up post-strike and the first footage leaked at CinemaCon, the truth behind that little punctuation mark came into focus.
And that might just be a good thing. Actually, it might be the thing that saves Marvel.
They actually pulled it off — calling this group “The New Avengers” without ticking off the entire fanbase or making it feel like a knockoff. It shouldn’t work. But somehow, it does.
This team wasn’t built to sell toys or satisfy fan nostalgia. It was built to reflect something closer to real life — how healing doesn’t always come from heroes, but from the messiest parts of ourselves and the people we least expect.
And this is something not even old Marvel has really chimed in on. Maybe touched on, but to have such a groundbreaking franchise channel the ultimate focus to mental health issues is something that is so rare to find.
Directed by Jake Schreier (‘Paper Towns’) and written by Eric Pearson (‘Black Widow’), with some punch-ups from Lee Sung Jin, this movie takes a brave and raw look at mental health.
This is something even old-school Marvel movies rarely leaned into. The true villain here isn’t a power-hungry alien or some time-traveling conqueror — it’s the mess inside the minds of people trying to outrun their pasts, and also just live.
Each character is fighting a different kind of darkness, and Marvel is finally using its massive platform to say something real: that pain doesn’t always make sense, and healing isn’t linear.
And yet, despite the weight of it all, the movie doesn’t lose its spark. It’s still entertaining, emotional, and beautifully shot. It reminds you — without preaching — that life is worth living when you’re not alone.
The unexpected heart of the film? Ava Starr (Ghost) and Antonia Dreykov (Taskmaster), two characters previously criticized for being underdeveloped and emotionally flat.
This time, Marvel is giving them real depth — and real demons. Ava’s unstable quantum powers have grown erratic, forcing her into isolation, while Antonia struggles with identity and autonomy after the Red Room’s mind control.
They’re not conventionally likable. They’re real.
And that’s exactly where Marvel took the risk. Audiences could’ve ended up rooting for them in spite of themselves… or it could’ve completely backfired. But they really managed to pull it off.
The emotional beats hit harder because they’re earned — not handed out in last-minute redemption arcs, but slowly built across interactions, setbacks, and those quiet moments when you see just how lost some of these characters really are.
New Avengers, New Rules
The film also brings in two new characters who’ve been kept pretty under wraps — including one who’s a total powerhouse, but only ends up on the team because they’re out of options, not because they were destined to wear a cape.
It’s a refreshing change of pace: a reluctant recruit who’s not a Chosen One, not genetically engineered, not even sure they want to be here — but ends up being exactly what the team needs.
Marvel’s betting on layered, morally gray characters to lead the next chapter. Not heroes. Not icons. Just people figuring it out like the rest of us.
Phase 5’s Trojan Horse?
Marvel has been accused lately of playing it safe — overstuffing timelines, overexposing characters, and relying too heavily on nostalgia. But ‘Thunderbolts*’ may be the studio’s most subversive move yet.
Instead of building toward a polished, squeaky-clean new Avengers team, ‘Thunderbolts*’ leans into the chaos, forcing fans to sit with discomfort — and maybe even embrace it.
It’s not flashy. It’s not easy. It’s not even necessarily fun.
But it’s compelling.
And if the whispers are true about where this team eventually ends up in the larger Kang/Secret Wars arc? This might be Marvel’s version of ‘Rogue One’ — the messy, painful middle chapter that redefines what heroism means in an era where every character is a little bit broken.
These aren’t your childhood Avengers. But maybe that’s the point.
That little asterisk wasn’t just marketing mischief.
It was Marvel telling us: This one’s different. Pay attention.
In a cinematic universe built on clean-cut heroes and crowd-pleasing formulas, ‘Thunderbolts*’ is the messy misfit that dares to question everything we thought we knew about the next phase of the MCU.
And maybe — with every ounce of hope left — that’s exactly the twist we needed.
By Emma Gladstone
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
Emma Gladstone is an entertainment journalist dedicated to offering a fresh perspective in today’s media landscape. As a content writer for The Hollywood Insider, her goal is to serve as a break from negativity by focusing on positive, human-centered angles that uplift and inspire. Writing reviews and feature stories for The Hollywood Insider, Emma celebrates the transformative and authentic power of reporting, to promote meaningful change and substance in media. Her passion for global entertainment fuels her writing, creating stories that educate, empower, and resonate deeply with readers. Emma is truly thrilled to be writing for The Hollywood Insider, as their values align closely with hers.
