Parents' Guide to Thunderbolts*

Movie 2025 PG-13 126 minutes
Thunderbolts* Movie: The supervillains pile on each other

Common Sense Media Review

Jeffrey Anderson By Jeffrey Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Trauma, violence in heartfelt MCU antihero adventure.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

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  • Thunderbolts covered in dirt and bruises while standing in a destroyed city
    1:09
  • Thunderbolts* movie: The crew stands together, looking at something off screen
  • Thunderbolts* movie: Ghost brandishes a shield and sword
  • Thunderbolts* movie: Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) holds a glass and talks to someone with their back to viewers

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 23 parent reviews

Parents say this movie features significant violence and strong language, which may make it unsuitable for younger audiences despite its engaging storyline and emotional depth. The film effectively explores themes of trauma and mental health through its character-driven narrative, making it a recommended watch for families while cautioning about potentially distressing scenes.violence warningemotional depthtrauma themesfamily discussionsstrong performances
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age 12+

Based on 41 kid reviews

Kids say the movie presents a compelling narrative that balances humor and action while addressing serious themes such as mental health, depression, and trauma. Although the darker content and violence may not be suitable for younger audiences, many appreciate its deeper messages and character development, making it a standout entry in the MCU.mental healthcharacter developmentdarker themessuitable for teensintense momentshumor and action
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What's the Story?

In THUNDERBOLTS*, Black Widow assassin Yelena (Florence Pugh) is working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who's facing impeachment from her role as the CIA director. Valentina and her assistant, Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), are scrambling to get rid of any evidence of wrongdoing—specifically anything having to do with something called Project Sentry. As part of the cleanup, Valentina sends Yelena on a mission to prevent a thief from robbing a secret stronghold. There, Yelena encounters John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and someone named Bob (Lewis Pullman), who has no memory of why he's there or how he got there. They realize they've been set up, and quickly team up to try to escape. Later, they're joined by Red Guardian (David Harbour) and recently elected congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)—aka the Winter Soldier—who's trying to take Valentina down. But Valentina has a secret, evil plan up her sleeve.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 23 ):
Kids say ( 41 ):

This clever, funny, heartfelt antihero story brings several second- and third-string Marvel characters together for their own slapdash adventure, while focusing on themes of trauma and empathy. Many superhero stories are really tales of underdogs and outcasts who finally get a chance to show their true colors; Thunderbolts* goes a step further by centering on characters who have real anguish and genuine loss. Yes, it has a similar general vibe to Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad, but it's less about being irreverent (though it does have plenty of laughs) and more about learning that telling the truth is the best way to really engage.

Thirty-six movies in, the MCU has, refreshingly, begun to embrace smaller stories, focusing less on world-shaking disasters and more on personal struggles. (Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier is a veteran of character-driven movies like Robot & Frank and Paper Towns.) Viewers may want to watch (or rewatch) the Marvel movies Black Widow and Ant-Man and the Wasp and the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to be fully up to speed with everything that's happening here, but it's not entirely necessary. Overall, Thunderbolts* (the asterisk will be explained) is just the right mix of fun, humor, action, and heartfelt connection, asserting that love and empathy are stronger than ill-gotten power.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Thunderbolts*' violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Are they the typical sort of team you'd expect to see in a superhero movie? Why, or why not?

  • How does the movie demonstrate the power and importance of empathy? How is empathy used to help characters address trauma and mental illness?

  • How does this movie fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole? Why are these characters considered outsiders or antiheroes?

Movie Details

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Thunderbolts* Movie: The supervillains pile on each other

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