Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan win hearts and minds in "Thunderbolts*," in which Marvel misfits tackle a story of redemption and mental health.

Peter Debruge of Variety writes that the blockbuster balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns and relies on deep knowledge of obscure characters (better get to watching those Marvel movies in order) to make sense of the MCU going forward. Debruge agrees with the others that it’s Florence Pugh’s film, writing:

Ultimately, when some talk about the revival of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Thunderbolts*" may get the credit for starting it all.