In their post-Avengers: Endgame era, Marvel Studios has expanded their cinematic roster to include new characters as well as returning to old favourites but rarely with an overall sense of direction for the saga. Thunderbolts* (asterisk and all – now officially revealed as The New Avengers) presents itself as the culmination of several plot threads that have been left dangling since the start of the Cinematic Universe’s fourth phase, bringing together a seemingly random selection of characters for a team-up movie designed in stark (haha) contrast to the Avengers films.

The story sees the shady Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, reprising the role from Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) sending her least-trusted agents on a mission to kill one another, ensuring that none of their activities can be traced back to her. Her top agent Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh, returning after Black Widow and Hawkeye) is having something of an identity crisis, and as she encounters her fellow agents John Walker / US Agent (Wyatt Russell, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Ava Starr / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen, Ant-Man and the Wasp) and Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko, Black Widow), begins to realise that not only have they all been played, but that Valentina’s plans may pose a greater threat than they anticipated. Teaming up alongside Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan, returning from the Captain America films), Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour, another Black Widow alumni) and the mysterious but unassuming Bob (Lewis Pullman in his MCU debut), the newly-formed Thunderbolts* (team name pending) must become the kinds of superheroes seen on cereal boxes…if they can overcome their personal issues.

If this sounds similar to a certain duo of team-up anti-hero films from that other popular comic book franchise, rest assured that Thunderbolts* has enough of its own unique tone and style to remain distinct. Also, unlike those films, Thunderbolts* presents a team of already-established characters, dispensing with introductions, backstory and exposition to keep the plot moving at a brisk 127 minutes. Audiences who aren’t up to date on the MCU shouldn’t have too many issues keeping up with who’s who and what they can do (“we all just punch and shoot” reminds Yelena at one point), although it may be worth watching Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier if you haven’t already, given that both of those projects set up the main emotional arcs of this film. Despite the somewhat random roster of characters, it is satisfying to see them come together, culminating in much the same way as the original The Avengers.

Florence Pugh is the standout of the cast as Yelena, who serves as the film’s lead and emotional anchor. Her arc throughout the story delves into some complex themes, and her dynamic with Lewis Pullman as Bob makes for some of the film’s strongest moments. It may have taken 7 years for Hannah John-Kamen to return as Ghost, but it’s hard to see why given how good she is here, bouncing off her co-stars in fun ways; while Wyatt Russell reprises his role as “asshole Captain America” with a certain glee in his eye. Julia Louis-Dreyfus really sinks her teeth into a leading role as Valentina (who has only appeared in cameos and supporting roles until now), bringing the sense of humour one would expect from the actor whilst never shying away from the character’s suspicious intentions. Perhaps the biggest surprise here is how little Sebastian Stan has to do as Bucky, although as the ‘elder statesman’ of the group, he has appeared in a lot of MCU projects over the last 14 years, so his lack of development here is somewhat forgivable. David Habour, meanwhile, brings in the comedy as Alexei with his distinctive red costume and booming voice (his constant shouting makes for an especially loud IMAX experience). The father/daughter dynamic between Alexei and Yelena leads to some fun moments (Pugh hilariously captures the sheer embarrassment of her goofy dad joining her on a secret mission with a group of trained killers), but also to some genuinely heartfelt moments, with one key scene near the end tugging at the heart strings.

Thunderbolts* swiftly moves between tragedy and comedy, resulting in one of the darkest and funniest MCU films. There’s a running theme about depression that develops into a unique third-act confrontation against an antagonist with a visually striking look. There are some really strong action sequences littered throughout with fluid camera movement and solid fight choreography, and with the lack of super-powered characters, the action is less reliant on CGI than other MCU entries (although there a few moments of unconvincing CG doubles). It’s also surprisingly refreshing to see the protagonists actually saving civilians in the third act, rather than focusing on punching a disposable army of bad guys. Hopefully we’ll see more of this in the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Avengers: Doomsday.

As part of the Filmed On IMAX programme, Thunderbolts* was shot with IMAX-certified digital cameras and features select sequences in IMAX’s exclusive 1.90:1 Expanded Aspect Ratio (EAR). Most of the key action set-pieces are shot in IMAX, opening up the frame for the spectacular opening stunt sequence and the various fights throughout with up to 26% more picture than non-IMAX cinemas. The 3D presentation adds a nice level of depth to the compositions (for fans looking for more in their cinematic experience), while the IMAX sound system is able to take full advantage of the various explosions, gunfire and the spectacular score from Son Lux.

All in all, Thunderbolts* is a really strong return to form for the MCU, developing its protagonists further and delivering a satisfying story that could only be told in this connected universe. This may still be a family-friendly blockbuster, but the film’s willingness to go into some dark places adds a sense of maturity that the humour never undercuts, emphasised by Andrew Droz Palermo‘s steely, almost monochromatic cinematography. It’s not exactly the quirky indie movie that some of the marketing has pushed it as, and the film glosses over a few character beats and plot points to keep to its tight running time (an extra 5 minutes or so of breathing room wouldn’t have gone amiss), yet it still holds together as an emotional, funny and action-packed summer blockbuster. This might not be the best MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame (that’s still certainly Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), but Thunderbolts* is well worth checking out on the biggest screen you can find.

Plus, the ending and credits scenes set the stage for an interesting new Avengers film next year, so be sure to stick around.

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* is out now in the UK and Ireland in cinemas and IMAX