Thunderbolts*

A group of antiheroes and reformed villains are assembled by the U.S. government for covert operations in a slick but largely uninspired entry in Marvel’s ever-expanding sprawl, closing out Phase Five with a self-deflating fizzle. The ensemble has strong chemistry and remains enjoyable to watch, but the story barrels past character work in favor of quips and action beats, leaving its half-formed gestures toward trauma stranded behind Disney+ homework and layers of required MCU context.