May 15, 2025
Mental Health and Superheroes: A Deep Dive into 'Thunderbolts*'
In this episode of *Movies First*, we dive into Marvel's groundbreaking film *Thunderbolts*, which boldly places mental health at the forefront of its superhero narrative. As we explore the character of Yelena, played by Florence Pugh, we discuss her profound struggles with purposelessness and how this reflects a larger shift in the portrayal of psychological issues in mainstream entertainment. The film introduces Bob, a seemingly ordinary individual whose journey from despair to empowerment serves as a powerful metaphor for shared human experiences and the complexities of mental health.
The ensemble cast, including John Walker, Ava Starr, and Taskmaster, creates a compelling support group of damaged superheroes, each grappling with their own traumas. We highlight the masterful balance of heavy themes with moments of levity, particularly through David Harbour's comedic portrayal of Red Guardian. Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines as Valentina, showcasing a multifaceted villain whose manipulations add layers of intrigue to the story.
The narrative's clever structure, with the underground vault symbolizing the characters' entrapment by their pasts, serves as a pressure cooker for confronting their demons. We analyze how action sequences reveal psychological depths rather than mere spectacle, with director Jake Schreier's handling of Bob's transformative moments standing out as particularly impactful.
With a well-deserved score of 8 out of 10, *Thunderbolts* opens vital conversations about mental health and purpose, presenting a nuanced portrayal that resonates with audiences. Join us for an insightful discussion on this remarkable film that successfully blends entertainment with a thoughtful exploration of the human condition!
https://www.bitesz.com/podcast/movies-first
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To see Alex First review of 'Thunderbolts*' and all his other movie reviews, visit
www.itellyouwhatithink.com
Become a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/movies-first-film-reviews-insights--2648009/support
.
WEBVTT
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.760
Chris: Mental health in superhero movies sounds like an
1
00:00:02.760 --> 00:00:05.600
oxymoron, right? But Marvel's latest film,
2
00:00:05.600 --> 00:00:08.520
Thunderbolts, completely transforms how we think
3
00:00:08.520 --> 00:00:11.280
about psychological struggles by putting them front and
4
00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:13.840
center in a genre typically reserved for
5
00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:15.920
explosions and witty one liners.
6
00:00:16.240 --> 00:00:19.120
Jessica: That's such an interesting shift for Marvel, especially with
7
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:22.080
Florence Pugh's character Yelena, struggling with this deep
8
00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:23.280
sense of purposelessness.
9
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.400
Jessica: How do you think this represents a.
10
00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:28.200
Jessica: Broader change in how we're approaching mental health in mainstream
11
00:00:28.200 --> 00:00:28.800
entertainment?
12
00:00:30.400 --> 00:00:33.120
Chris: Well, what's fascinating is how they've woven these
13
00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:35.280
themes into every aspect of the story.
14
00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.200
Take the character of Bob. Here's this
15
00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.000
seemingly random, depressed individual who
16
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.520
stumbles into an underground vault with these
17
00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:47.440
powerful antiheroes. And it turns out
18
00:00:47.440 --> 00:00:50.320
he's connected to Valentina's medical experiments.
19
00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:53.880
The way they develop his arc from suicidal
20
00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.690
to all powerful is unlike anything we've
21
00:00:56.690 --> 00:00:57.730
seen in the genre.
22
00:00:58.610 --> 00:01:00.850
Jessica: You know what really strikes me about that storyline?
23
00:01:01.650 --> 00:01:03.850
The way they use Bob's ability to channel the
24
00:01:03.850 --> 00:01:06.690
antiheroes past traumas as this brilliant metaphor
25
00:01:06.690 --> 00:01:07.970
for shared human experience.
26
00:01:09.330 --> 00:01:12.010
Chris: Exactly. And speaking of those
27
00:01:12.010 --> 00:01:14.810
antiheroes, let's look at this fascinating
28
00:01:14.810 --> 00:01:17.410
group they've assembled. You've got John
29
00:01:17.410 --> 00:01:20.210
Walker, who abandoned his family after his brief
30
00:01:20.210 --> 00:01:22.860
stint as Captain America. Ava
31
00:01:22.860 --> 00:01:25.220
Starr as Ghost and Taskmaster,
32
00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:28.340
each carrying their own psychological wounds.
33
00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:31.980
It's like they're creating this support group for
34
00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:33.540
damaged superheroes.
35
00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:36.300
Jessica: The way they balance these heavy themes.
36
00:01:36.300 --> 00:01:38.980
Jessica: With moments of levity is really masterful,
37
00:01:39.460 --> 00:01:42.380
especially with David Harbour as Red Guardian providing
38
00:01:42.380 --> 00:01:44.100
that much needed comic relief.
39
00:01:44.820 --> 00:01:47.550
Chris: And let's talk about Julia Louis Dreyfus as as
40
00:01:47.550 --> 00:01:50.350
Valentina. She's absolutely crushing it
41
00:01:50.430 --> 00:01:53.310
as the CIA director tech company leader
42
00:01:53.310 --> 00:01:55.990
who's facing impeachment. The way she
43
00:01:55.990 --> 00:01:58.990
manipulates Yelena with false promises while planning to
44
00:01:58.990 --> 00:02:01.750
eliminate her show's such complex layers of
45
00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:02.350
villainy.
46
00:02:02.830 --> 00:02:05.830
Jessica: Mm, mhm. And the political thriller aspect with Bucky
47
00:02:05.830 --> 00:02:08.630
Barnes as this crusading congressman really adds another
48
00:02:08.630 --> 00:02:09.710
dimension to the story.
49
00:02:10.910 --> 00:02:13.590
Chris: You know what's really clever about the structure? The
50
00:02:13.590 --> 00:02:16.350
underground vault where Valentina traps these characters
51
00:02:16.750 --> 00:02:19.670
serves as both a literal prison and this
52
00:02:19.670 --> 00:02:22.590
perfect metaphor for how they're all trapped by their past
53
00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:25.590
traumas. It's like a pressure cooker, forcing
54
00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:27.390
these characters to confront their demons.
55
00:02:28.110 --> 00:02:30.150
Jessica: That's such a brilliant observation about the.
56
00:02:30.150 --> 00:02:32.750
Jessica: Symbolism and the way they handle the action
57
00:02:32.750 --> 00:02:35.270
sequences. They're not just spectacle for
58
00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:36.590
spectacle's sake, are they?
59
00:02:37.550 --> 00:02:40.240
Chris: Not at all. Yes. Each action scene reveals
60
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:43.040
something new about these characters psychological
61
00:02:43.040 --> 00:02:45.800
states. And the way director Jake Schreier
62
00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.440
handles Bob's scenes where he's channeling the Anti
63
00:02:48.440 --> 00:02:51.440
Hero's past experiences. Those could have been
64
00:02:51.440 --> 00:02:54.200
really confusing or heavy handed, but instead
65
00:02:54.200 --> 00:02:56.600
they're some of the most powerful moments in the film.
66
00:02:57.160 --> 00:03:00.140
Jessica: The fact that they managed to tackle all of this while maintaining a,
67
00:03:00.140 --> 00:03:02.280
uh, PG rating is pretty remarkable too.
68
00:03:03.480 --> 00:03:06.280
Chris: Well, that's what makes this film so groundbreaking. It's
69
00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.880
opening up these important conversations about mental health
70
00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:11.960
and the search for purpose in a way that's accessible
71
00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:14.520
to younger viewers. It's showing that even
72
00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.520
superheroes struggle with depression and uncertainty.
73
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.000
Jessica: And Florence Pugh really carries that emotional weight throughout
74
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.920
the film, doesn't she? Her performance
75
00:03:23.920 --> 00:03:25.840
as Yelena has so many layers.
76
00:03:26.640 --> 00:03:29.640
Chris: Oh, absolutely. The way she handles those scenes with
77
00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:32.560
Bob, taking him under her wing while dealing with her own
78
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.270
existential crisis really showcases her
79
00:03:35.270 --> 00:03:37.870
versatility as an actor. And her
80
00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:40.590
complicated relationship with Red Guardian adds this
81
00:03:40.590 --> 00:03:42.670
whole other emotional dimension to the story.
82
00:03:43.630 --> 00:03:46.470
Jessica: So what do you think this means for the future of superhero
83
00:03:46.470 --> 00:03:49.430
films? Are we going to see more of this kind
84
00:03:49.430 --> 00:03:50.670
of psychological depth?
85
00:03:51.870 --> 00:03:54.510
Chris: Well, looking at how audiences are responding to this more
86
00:03:54.510 --> 00:03:57.390
nuanced approach, I think we're definitely going to see more
87
00:03:57.390 --> 00:04:00.390
superhero films tackling mental health and personal
88
00:04:00.390 --> 00:04:03.280
struggles. The post credits scene even hints
89
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.880
at how they might continue exploring these themes in the
90
00:04:05.880 --> 00:04:08.800
sequel. It's like Marvel is finally acknowledging
91
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.520
that even the most powerful characters can
92
00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.360
struggle with their mental health, and that's incredibly
93
00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.080
important for audiences to see.
94
00:04:16.880 --> 00:04:19.840
Jessica: That's going to resonate with so many people who might be dealing with
95
00:04:19.840 --> 00:04:22.640
similar issues in their own lives, and that's.
96
00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:25.640
Chris: Really the brilliance of what they've done here. They've managed to
97
00:04:25.640 --> 00:04:28.160
create a film that works both as an entertaining
98
00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:31.090
superhero movie and as a thoughtful exploration
99
00:04:31.090 --> 00:04:33.970
of mental health, purpose and redemption.
100
00:04:34.530 --> 00:04:37.330
It's opening up important conversations while
101
00:04:37.330 --> 00:04:40.170
still delivering all the action and excitement we expect from a
102
00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:42.570
Marvel film. Incidentally, the
103
00:04:42.570 --> 00:04:45.170
asterisk in the title, which is certainly unusual,
104
00:04:45.570 --> 00:04:48.050
makes sense as the film nears its conclusion.
105
00:04:48.770 --> 00:04:51.650
And remember to stay on while the final credits roll in.
106
00:04:51.650 --> 00:04:54.570
Beyond as Thunderbolts points to the
107
00:04:54.570 --> 00:04:57.110
inevitable sequel, we give it a well
108
00:04:57.110 --> 00:04:58.790
deserved 8 out of 10 score.
109
00:04:59.030 --> 00:05:01.830
Alex: You've been listening to movies first available
110
00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:04.310
at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
111
00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:07.230
iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast
112
00:05:07.230 --> 00:05:08.950
player. You can also stream on
113
00:05:08.950 --> 00:05:11.070
demand@bytes.com this.
114
00:05:11.070 --> 00:05:13.750
Chris: Has been another quality podcast production from
115
00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:14.950
bytes.com.
0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.760
Chris: Mental health in superhero movies sounds like an
1
00:00:02.760 --> 00:00:05.600
oxymoron, right? But Marvel's latest film,
2
00:00:05.600 --> 00:00:08.520
Thunderbolts, completely transforms how we think
3
00:00:08.520 --> 00:00:11.280
about psychological struggles by putting them front and
4
00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:13.840
center in a genre typically reserved for
5
00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:15.920
explosions and witty one liners.
6
00:00:16.240 --> 00:00:19.120
Jessica: That's such an interesting shift for Marvel, especially with
7
00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:22.080
Florence Pugh's character Yelena, struggling with this deep
8
00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:23.280
sense of purposelessness.
9
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.400
Jessica: How do you think this represents a.
10
00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:28.200
Jessica: Broader change in how we're approaching mental health in mainstream
11
00:00:28.200 --> 00:00:28.800
entertainment?
12
00:00:30.400 --> 00:00:33.120
Chris: Well, what's fascinating is how they've woven these
13
00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:35.280
themes into every aspect of the story.
14
00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.200
Take the character of Bob. Here's this
15
00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.000
seemingly random, depressed individual who
16
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.520
stumbles into an underground vault with these
17
00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:47.440
powerful antiheroes. And it turns out
18
00:00:47.440 --> 00:00:50.320
he's connected to Valentina's medical experiments.
19
00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:53.880
The way they develop his arc from suicidal
20
00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.690
to all powerful is unlike anything we've
21
00:00:56.690 --> 00:00:57.730
seen in the genre.
22
00:00:58.610 --> 00:01:00.850
Jessica: You know what really strikes me about that storyline?
23
00:01:01.650 --> 00:01:03.850
The way they use Bob's ability to channel the
24
00:01:03.850 --> 00:01:06.690
antiheroes past traumas as this brilliant metaphor
25
00:01:06.690 --> 00:01:07.970
for shared human experience.
26
00:01:09.330 --> 00:01:12.010
Chris: Exactly. And speaking of those
27
00:01:12.010 --> 00:01:14.810
antiheroes, let's look at this fascinating
28
00:01:14.810 --> 00:01:17.410
group they've assembled. You've got John
29
00:01:17.410 --> 00:01:20.210
Walker, who abandoned his family after his brief
30
00:01:20.210 --> 00:01:22.860
stint as Captain America. Ava
31
00:01:22.860 --> 00:01:25.220
Starr as Ghost and Taskmaster,
32
00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:28.340
each carrying their own psychological wounds.
33
00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:31.980
It's like they're creating this support group for
34
00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:33.540
damaged superheroes.
35
00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:36.300
Jessica: The way they balance these heavy themes.
36
00:01:36.300 --> 00:01:38.980
Jessica: With moments of levity is really masterful,
37
00:01:39.460 --> 00:01:42.380
especially with David Harbour as Red Guardian providing
38
00:01:42.380 --> 00:01:44.100
that much needed comic relief.
39
00:01:44.820 --> 00:01:47.550
Chris: And let's talk about Julia Louis Dreyfus as as
40
00:01:47.550 --> 00:01:50.350
Valentina. She's absolutely crushing it
41
00:01:50.430 --> 00:01:53.310
as the CIA director tech company leader
42
00:01:53.310 --> 00:01:55.990
who's facing impeachment. The way she
43
00:01:55.990 --> 00:01:58.990
manipulates Yelena with false promises while planning to
44
00:01:58.990 --> 00:02:01.750
eliminate her show's such complex layers of
45
00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:02.350
villainy.
46
00:02:02.830 --> 00:02:05.830
Jessica: Mm, mhm. And the political thriller aspect with Bucky
47
00:02:05.830 --> 00:02:08.630
Barnes as this crusading congressman really adds another
48
00:02:08.630 --> 00:02:09.710
dimension to the story.
49
00:02:10.910 --> 00:02:13.590
Chris: You know what's really clever about the structure? The
50
00:02:13.590 --> 00:02:16.350
underground vault where Valentina traps these characters
51
00:02:16.750 --> 00:02:19.670
serves as both a literal prison and this
52
00:02:19.670 --> 00:02:22.590
perfect metaphor for how they're all trapped by their past
53
00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:25.590
traumas. It's like a pressure cooker, forcing
54
00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:27.390
these characters to confront their demons.
55
00:02:28.110 --> 00:02:30.150
Jessica: That's such a brilliant observation about the.
56
00:02:30.150 --> 00:02:32.750
Jessica: Symbolism and the way they handle the action
57
00:02:32.750 --> 00:02:35.270
sequences. They're not just spectacle for
58
00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:36.590
spectacle's sake, are they?
59
00:02:37.550 --> 00:02:40.240
Chris: Not at all. Yes. Each action scene reveals
60
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:43.040
something new about these characters psychological
61
00:02:43.040 --> 00:02:45.800
states. And the way director Jake Schreier
62
00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.440
handles Bob's scenes where he's channeling the Anti
63
00:02:48.440 --> 00:02:51.440
Hero's past experiences. Those could have been
64
00:02:51.440 --> 00:02:54.200
really confusing or heavy handed, but instead
65
00:02:54.200 --> 00:02:56.600
they're some of the most powerful moments in the film.
66
00:02:57.160 --> 00:03:00.140
Jessica: The fact that they managed to tackle all of this while maintaining a,
67
00:03:00.140 --> 00:03:02.280
uh, PG rating is pretty remarkable too.
68
00:03:03.480 --> 00:03:06.280
Chris: Well, that's what makes this film so groundbreaking. It's
69
00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:08.880
opening up these important conversations about mental health
70
00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:11.960
and the search for purpose in a way that's accessible
71
00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:14.520
to younger viewers. It's showing that even
72
00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.520
superheroes struggle with depression and uncertainty.
73
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.000
Jessica: And Florence Pugh really carries that emotional weight throughout
74
00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.920
the film, doesn't she? Her performance
75
00:03:23.920 --> 00:03:25.840
as Yelena has so many layers.
76
00:03:26.640 --> 00:03:29.640
Chris: Oh, absolutely. The way she handles those scenes with
77
00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:32.560
Bob, taking him under her wing while dealing with her own
78
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.270
existential crisis really showcases her
79
00:03:35.270 --> 00:03:37.870
versatility as an actor. And her
80
00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:40.590
complicated relationship with Red Guardian adds this
81
00:03:40.590 --> 00:03:42.670
whole other emotional dimension to the story.
82
00:03:43.630 --> 00:03:46.470
Jessica: So what do you think this means for the future of superhero
83
00:03:46.470 --> 00:03:49.430
films? Are we going to see more of this kind
84
00:03:49.430 --> 00:03:50.670
of psychological depth?
85
00:03:51.870 --> 00:03:54.510
Chris: Well, looking at how audiences are responding to this more
86
00:03:54.510 --> 00:03:57.390
nuanced approach, I think we're definitely going to see more
87
00:03:57.390 --> 00:04:00.390
superhero films tackling mental health and personal
88
00:04:00.390 --> 00:04:03.280
struggles. The post credits scene even hints
89
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.880
at how they might continue exploring these themes in the
90
00:04:05.880 --> 00:04:08.800
sequel. It's like Marvel is finally acknowledging
91
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.520
that even the most powerful characters can
92
00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.360
struggle with their mental health, and that's incredibly
93
00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.080
important for audiences to see.
94
00:04:16.880 --> 00:04:19.840
Jessica: That's going to resonate with so many people who might be dealing with
95
00:04:19.840 --> 00:04:22.640
similar issues in their own lives, and that's.
96
00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:25.640
Chris: Really the brilliance of what they've done here. They've managed to
97
00:04:25.640 --> 00:04:28.160
create a film that works both as an entertaining
98
00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:31.090
superhero movie and as a thoughtful exploration
99
00:04:31.090 --> 00:04:33.970
of mental health, purpose and redemption.
100
00:04:34.530 --> 00:04:37.330
It's opening up important conversations while
101
00:04:37.330 --> 00:04:40.170
still delivering all the action and excitement we expect from a
102
00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:42.570
Marvel film. Incidentally, the
103
00:04:42.570 --> 00:04:45.170
asterisk in the title, which is certainly unusual,
104
00:04:45.570 --> 00:04:48.050
makes sense as the film nears its conclusion.
105
00:04:48.770 --> 00:04:51.650
And remember to stay on while the final credits roll in.
106
00:04:51.650 --> 00:04:54.570
Beyond as Thunderbolts points to the
107
00:04:54.570 --> 00:04:57.110
inevitable sequel, we give it a well
108
00:04:57.110 --> 00:04:58.790
deserved 8 out of 10 score.
109
00:04:59.030 --> 00:05:01.830
Alex: You've been listening to movies first available
110
00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:04.310
at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
111
00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:07.230
iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast
112
00:05:07.230 --> 00:05:08.950
player. You can also stream on
113
00:05:08.950 --> 00:05:11.070
demand@bytes.com this.
114
00:05:11.070 --> 00:05:13.750
Chris: Has been another quality podcast production from
115
00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:14.950
bytes.com.
