Thunderbolts Promises a Refreshing Break from the Multiverse: Review
After years of cosmic-level threats and multiversal chaos, Marvel Studios is finally dialing things back to Earth. The highly anticipated Thunderbolts is officially the final film of Phase 5 and the first post-2023 MCU movie to completely skip the Multiverse—and fans seem ready for the change.
Releasing in theaters on Friday, May 2, Thunderbolts* aims to focus on more personal, character-driven stakes instead of rifts in spacetime and alternate realities. At the world premiere event in London, Marvel Studios executive producer Brian Chapek shared a message that’s sure to resonate with longtime fans: it’s time to “bring it back down to Earth.”
Marvel Responds to Multiverse Fatigue
In an interview with HeyUGuys, Chapek acknowledged the growing weariness around the MCU’s heavy focus on the Multiverse:
“Yes, the MCU has gotten so big, right? We’re dealing with Multiverses and these large, giant threats… In making Thunderbolts, we really wanted to bring it back down to Earth on a more human scale.”
Chapek emphasized that this movie is about outcasts uniting, not variants colliding. The goal, he said, was to explore internal conflicts rather than interdimensional ones.
A Cast of Misfits Assembles
The film brings together familiar faces who previously existed in “subpockets of the universe” — like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko).
Chapek highlighted the ensemble’s chemistry:
“It makes my job so much easier, because they are such amazing actors… It takes people who are maybe left in the rearview mirror and unites them as something much better.”
Their mission? Stop Lewis Pullman’s Sentry, a dangerously powerful character who threatens the very balance the Thunderbolts must restore—without any cosmic portals or timeline resets.
Marvel’s Recent Multiversal Overload
To understand why Thunderbolts** feels like such a breath of fresh air, just look at the MCU’s last few theatrical releases:
Captain America: Brave New World ended with the Leader teasing an otherworldly threat.
Deadpool & Wolverine is entirely multiverse-based, with alternate timelines and cameos galore.
The Marvels (2023) wrapped with Monica Rambeau stuck in another reality after sealing a rift in space-time, leading to cameos from Maria Rambeau and Beast (Kelsey Grammer).
The Multiverse has certainly brought thrills, but not without audience fatigue.
Why Thunderbolts Feels Like “Old Marvel”
Early buzz from critics suggests Thunderbolts may be exactly what fans have been craving—a return to the MCU’s roots with emotional stakes, gritty action, and flawed characters trying to do what’s right.
Fans have praised the film for feeling “like the old Marvel,” emphasizing its grounded tone and character depth over spectacle.
This back-to-basics approach might just be the MCU’s smartest move in years—especially as Phase 6 will return to massive multiverse events with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
