A reluctant villain casts a dark shadow over New York: in Marvel’s latest film Thunderbolts, a superhero falls into depression – and empathy becomes the most powerful weapon.
Almost silently, with a faint hiss, people dissolve into dark dust when the black-clad villain catches them in his grasp. They are consumed by the monstrous void that has taken hold of his soul, now threatening to devour the residents of Manhattan one by one. The Marvel universe has seen its fair share of flamboyant antagonists, but none as hauntingly bleak as the figure unveiled in Thunderbolts.
A Dark Presence Looms Over New York in Thunderbolts
Pitch-black and barely distinguishable as anything more than a silhouette, the figure floats above the New York skyline, forming a powerful metaphor for a deep, all-consuming depression. This is Sentry (played by Lewis Pullman), known simply as Bob in his civilian life – a villain against his own will, seized uncontrollably by his darker side.
Standing against him is a group of heroes who are equally far from traditional ideals. Leading the way is Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who, in one of the film’s opening scenes, leaps from a skyscraper into the void below. Since the death of her sister, she too has been struggling with a profound emptiness. Yet what appears at first to be a spectacular act of self-destruction quickly reveals itself to be another mission for the highly trained assassin. A parachute guides her to a mid-level floor of the building, where she dispatches an overwhelming number of armed opponents with a weary indifference.
