'Thunderbolts*' proves MCU is back with heartfelt handling of mental health struggles

The central theme tackles the mental health of these anti-heroes. Since much of the story is carried by Yelena's perspective, viewers will get a lot of character development from her to see how she is dealing with her trauma and loss.

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A soft, complex character like Yelena can only be played by someone like Pugh, who always brings delicate depth to her performances.

Another actor in the spotlight is Pullman's debut as Bob, who has the perfect balance between soft and tough in his performance that is basically the core heart of the plot, with a character development that may hit home with its exploration of mental health issues.

Dreyfus, making her third appearance as Valentina in the MCU, finally shines in the franchise with her manipulative, publicity-savvy persona. She makes for an enjoyable villain to watch, deserving of her position as the villainous equivalent of Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury.

In between is Sebastian Stan as Bucky. Much of his past has already been explored in previous projects, so there is a risk of redundancy if the film tackles it again. Thankfully, it trusts its fans to remember the context of his character and why it only felt natural for him to help the group. He was in their shoes once as someone feeling misunderstood.