On the surface, Marvel’s Thunderbolts* (or New Avengers, I guess I should say now), is a story about seemingly expendable assassins and operatives, coming together to fight off a big bad. However, on a deeper level, this Marvel project that premiered on the 2025 movie schedule is about loneliness, depression, trauma, and how we cope with them. It’s about the importance of family, support and the power of emotional vulnerability, and I think no one’s character illustrates that better than Florence Pugh’s Yelena.
I Appreciated How Candid Thunderbolts' Depiction Of Yelena's Loneliness Was
From the jump – like literally from the base jump off a tall building – it’s made very clear just how lonely Yelena is. In her first mission in the movie, she captures a man on her own, saves a guinea pig and blows up a building while wearing a hoodie and lamenting about her job and its repetitiveness.
She’s operating on autopilot and simply trying to survive the day. However, the loneliness and "emptiness" are getting to her. That becomes incredibly clear, too, as later in the movie we see her see herself drinking by the bathtub.
While she’s still obviously operating and working, she also doesn’t hide how lonely and hurt she’s feeling, which I really appreciate. I personally loved the moment where she and Lewis Pullman’s Bob were bonding right when they met, and she said:
I understand, we all feel like shit sometimes, and loneliness, I get that, I get it. And that darkness gets pretty enticing, and then it starts to feel a little bit like...Yep. A void.
While she said she didn’t care and ultimately joked with Bob about pushing these feelings down, her facial expressions said otherwise, and as the movie progressed, that bond with Bob deepened, and her care for the other Thunderbolts did too.
I was also deeply moved by Yelana and Alexei’s relationship. Her loneliness is based on the grief she’s been dealing with after the loss of her sister. So, watching her grapple with that while her father-figure finally comes back into her life was incredibly emotional and quite moving.
As someone who has struggled with loneliness, I found Yelena’s story and struggle to be real and raw. I also found the way the film helped her through this challenging time deeply moving too, because in my experience, support from friends and giving back that support can be the most healing thing.
I Loved How The Film Validated Her Feelings And Then Gave Her A Support System To Help Her Heal
As I mentioned earlier, overall, Thunderbolts* is a movie about depression, loneliness, grief and how we handle it healthily. We see this idea literally personified through Bob’s Void, and we see Yelena fearlessly face it by literally stepping into it.
However, we also watch the other people she’s fighting alongside step into it after her. That’s not the only time this happens in the film, either. Throughout Thunderbolts*, this team is constantly supporting each other (even if it is reluctantly at times), and they clearly get where their fellow fighters are coming from.
It’s that act of validation and support time and time again (even if it’s not through the most obvious actions) that truly helps people get out of dark times. I think we saw that beautifully depicted throughout the whole movie.
The way the team followed Yelena into the Void and supported her through that was one of the most healing scenes in the movie to me.
Some have said that Thunderbolts* helped cure their Marvel fatigue, and that was true for me, too. I think it’s primarily because of how it’s based on these relatable and emotional representations of loneliness, depression and mental health, and I was the most moved by what Yelena went through.
To go back and watch Yelena and her teammates' journey, you can now stream Thunderbolts* with a Disney+ subscription.
