Thunderbolts Just Got A Second Chance At Life On Blu-Ray

You couldn’t go online in 2023 without encountering a eulogy for the superhero genre, which was declared dead or dying by the BBC in March, Paste in May, and Slate in December. These and many other publications observed a string of dire box office results, but varied in their analysis of the problem’s source and severity. Arguing that “heroes have been strip-mined,” Variety warned that with so many movies being churned out, even iconic heroes had become boring. James Gunn’s Superman, the piece argued, “is going to feel like it’s about the 12th Superman.”

Maybe Gunn’s Superman didn’t really feel new, but that prediction underestimated just how much we love Krypton’s favourite son. Superman raked in $220 million over its opening weekend, good for the year’s third-biggest debut. For context, that’s more money than The Marvels made during its entire run, a debacle that triggered much of that 2023 gravedigging.

It turns out that people are still willing to show up for Superman because he’s Superman, a character beloved by pop culture aficionados, casual moviegoers, and otherwise untouched tribes alike. But Variety was right about us being long past the days when audiences would show up for a mediocre superhero flick simply because it was part of a broader story about capes and sky beams. That’s an important lesson for the industry to learn, but it does mean that some genuinely fun adventures have started to slip through the cracks.

How Was Thunderbolts Received Upon Release?

If Superman is big enough to enjoy brand recognition in the more remote parts of North Korea, the Thunderbolts struggle to be acknowledged by even the popcorn-munching retirees who haunt your local megaplex. Marvel’s antihero team struggled to the MCU’s fifth-worst box office performance, and the third-worst this decade; not great, when you consider that the MCU has a numbing 36 films. What’s worse is that, unlike recent fellow dud Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts is actually worth watching.

Maybe it’s disingenuous to call a movie that made $382 million overlooked, but Thunderbolts, situated at the tail end of an aimless MCU era and stuck amid a broader sense of superhero malaise, came and went with nary a GIF or meme to give it longevity. That’s a shame, because it represents a return to Marvel’s competent, workmanlike form. Thunderbolts isn’t going to change your life or revolutionize cinema, but if you pick up its new 4K Blu-Ray, you should have a pretty damn good time.

Starring Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and also featuring the return of Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Ghost, and the Red Guardian, Marvel’s saddest sacks are busy doing wetwork for the endlessly teased Valentina Allegra de Fontaine when the villainess does what villainesses do and double-crosses them all. Forced to work together to survive, the gang unravels a conspiracy involving a mild-mannered but dark-hearted amnesiac named Bob, and New York City is saved for the umpteenth time in the process.

Why Is Thunderbolts Important To See Now?

Shot competently, often funny instead of merely quippy, Thunderbolts is, by the standards of superhero blockbusters, almost experimental in its storytelling. Thunderbolts doesn’t reinvent the wheel but does remind everyone of why we’re so fond of wheels in the first place. David Harbour, as the perpetually exuberant Red Guardian, is a particular delight, and while the movie’s big swing at commenting on mental health and trauma is broad and blunt, the visual side is unsettling enough to be effective.

Other recent Marvel flops deserve their reputation: Quantumania was mired in visual and tonal sludge, Brave New World was hamstrung by marketing that willingly surrendered what were supposed to be shocking twists, and The Marvels was so rushed it seemed unclear if anyone involved even wanted to make it. Thunderbolts, freed from these flaws and the obligation to advance the MCU beyond a little last-minute housekeeping, was lucky enough to be allowed to stand on its own feet. Unfortunately, those feet were attached to a body about as famous as fellow failures Black Adam and Blue Beetle.

What New Features Does the Thunderbolts 4K Blu-ray Have?

Thunderbolts’ physical release gives it a well-deserved second chance. Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Marvel promises hours of bonus features, including deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features, and commentary from director Jake Schreier. The 4K edition is also available in a Steelbook, if that’s your thing, while a Walmart exclusive Blu-Ray features a pop-up package that supposedly “unleashes the strength, grit, and powerful presence” of the Thunderbolts, in case your living room needs more “utter determination and focused battle.”

As critics largely agreed upon its release, Thunderbolts is the kind of movie you can watch with confidence knowing that you’ll get some laughs, some thrills, and a good excuse to devour a bag of candy. Sometimes that’s all you need, and having that need filled is all we should really ask of Marvel. The superhero genre may never return to its old heights, but if this level of competence can be reapplied to the MCU’s bigger names, we won’t need to write any fresh obituaries for a while.

Thunderbolts is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray now.