Thunderbolts*: Man’s Longing For Purpose

I know — I’m very late to the game to talk about this movie. But, our family doesn’t usually watch movies until they are available with ClearPlay. Thus, I didn’t see it until this September.

Before I do a deep-dive into it, I’ll give you my general thoughts. I’d give Thunderbolts* around three-to-three-and-a-half stars out of five. I mean, compared to recent Marvel movies, (and recent movies in general,) it’s pretty decent.

I appreciated the humor, and that they took on such topics as drug abuse, depression, guilt, and broken families, all prevalent and relevant issues. They addressed real problems instead of making a story that was escapist or bizarre. And the dorky humor, especially the sign-wielding chicken, was well-placed and helped to keep the tone from being too dark. It had fun music and a fun vibe. But it also had some problems.

I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I wish Bucky and Alexei had just punched Val through a wall, because that was what she deserved. Or she should have at least been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I’m sick and tired of seeing villain treated as victims, or not getting cold hard justice handed to them. This world is way too easy on evil. Anyone who watches cop-cam videos to the end and then hears what charges the criminals get, (if any,) knows that. And frankly, I just can’t see that band of rogues and rebels settling for continued employment with her. The theme of Marvel superheroes was originally that they weren’t ordered around by big government or tangled in bureaucracy — see Iron Man 2, the destruction of SHIELD, and the Sokovia Accords.

But, my main issue with the movie is its theme, which was the most on-the-nose of any Marvel movie I’ve seen. I get and understand what the writers’ intentions were. I respect their good motives. They were trying to tackle a hard subject and provide hope.

Unfortunately, without the Gospel, there is no hope.

Ultimately, Thunderbolts* was an expression of humanism’s best attempts to find value and purpose falling short.

Is learning to work as a team, and choosing to fight for good instead of evil, a positive thing? Yes. But it’s not enough. It’s not going to conquer that void.

It’ll never erase Yelena’s guilt. They had the right idea with her facing her problems by walking into the darkness. But she didn’t really grapple with them and come to the full realization that she needed to repent and turn her life over to something – Someone – beyond herself. All she did was acknowledge them and decide that she wanted to get past them. And out of all the characters, she had the biggest arc in the movie. I must say, I still enjoy her humor (more so in Hawkeye.) Interestingly, a line she had in the Hawkeye show was, “You are defined by what you do.”

Curious. Is this still a belief she holds after Thunderbolts*? I wonder. Because how you view people’s accountability for their actions (especially bad ones) is very important to how you then view forgiveness. She wanted to hold Clint accountable for Nat’s death – does she still hold herself accountable for the deaths of those she’s killed, like the innocent security guards at the beginning?

As for the rest of the team, Ava didn’t even seem to be feeling any guilt. At the end of Antman 2 she was treated (surprise) like a victim. Like pain was a good excuse to go around killing people. And in Thunderbolts*, nothing really changed for her.

Alexei didn’t develop all that much either. He acknowledges that he did a bad job of parenting, but that’s about it. Frankly, he’s more of a supporting role in the movie, and so I suppose in that sense he can be excused. And he’s funny too. I guess the moral of that is that I can still like a weaker character just for being funny. 😆

Walker, I don’t know anything about really, so I won’t address him here. Please note that I have not seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or Black Widow, and thus am missing certain pieces of the overall storyline and character arcs of Walker, Bucky, Yelena, and Alexei. And if you disagree with my analysis, or have insight to provide, please by all means leave a comment. Discussing works of fiction is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Bucky has already completed his arc for the most part, but I think it would have been a good idea for the filmmakers to at least briefly show the shame rooms of all the team, especially his since he was a POV character. That way, even for those who have already got past their demons, we could still see them facing them again and saying no. Because that’s how life is. Old temptations, old sins, they come creeping back, and even if they’re not as hard to rebuff as before, you still have to say no and shove it away. Bucky is supposed to stand as the good example, of one who’s grown the most. That position could be further strengthened if we could see him directly combatting his demons.

And finally Bob – he’s supposed to be the everyman. His lines reflect that, his name, his longing for purpose and love, his backstory with its broken family and stupid mistakes made along the way. He desires to have value. He just wants something higher, something greater than this world can offer. Something that’s fulfilling.

But choosing to fight with the Thunderbolts won’t satisfy that longing.

The fact is, all of those characters have ghosts in their pasts, things they need to get over, or holes in their heart. They’re all struggling with trying to find their place and purpose in the world.

But hugging it out isn’t the answer. Yes, we need fellowship, friends, and family. But it’s not enough.

Even becoming the world’s new heroes isn’t the answer, though turning toward selflessness and doing good is a closer answer than most recent media has managed. It’s certainly better than patting the characters on the head and telling them that they’re special and enough as they are without needing to change.

We live in a bleak, black, evil world, full of falliable and broken humans. There is only hope in Christ.

There is only purpose in Christ.

There is only satisfaction, and joy to fill that void, in Christ.

Man is not enough. He cannot save himself. He cannot find the answer within himself. He cannot manufacture purpose.

Purpose comes from outside us – outside this world and everything in it. We do not discover it from digging deep within or confronting our past. We do not find it in other people, or in any vocation/calling, no matter how noble.

We are not valuable because we tell ourselves that we are, or because other people say that we are. We are valuable because we were made by the Author of all creation, the Supreme Creator, the Grand Designer. We are intricate, incredible works of art. We are valuable because our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves us. He died for us because of that love. He became sin because of that love. Think about it for just a minute. Jesus is God. He is sinless. And yet He chose to take on the punishment for every sin comitted by every human being ever to exist.

To use a much simpler, reduced metaphor, we are like that favorite stuffed animal from childhood. Doesn’t matter how ratty or raggedy we are. We’re not even the prettiest toy on the shelf by any stretch of the imagination — we were just picked and clung to forever. We are valuable because of that love. In that child’s eyes, we are worth more than our weight in gold.

Or we are like a painting, a priceless painting on which a master artist spent years of his life, all of his focus, and his deepest love. We are valuable because of Who made us, and the love and craftsmanship He put into us.

True unshakable hope comes from knowledge of that value. It’s a knowledge that’s hard to internalize sometimes. We have it in our heads, but it needs constant reinforcement and reminder to stay in our hearts, lovely fickle things that they are.

Thunderbolts* had its fun moments. I applaud the effort – and I’ve had Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now stuck in my head for the last several days.

But unstoppable joy and purpose don’t come from teamwork, friendship, or saving the world (great as all those things are.) A new definition, a new identity, doesn’t come from simply moving past the deeds you’ve done.

They come from God, the Creator of lightning and thunder, of earthquakes and the great vastness of space, who sees you, one tiny little person out of billions – and loves you with a wild, unquenchable love and has forgiven you for your sins. In Him, you have everything you’ll ever need.

There is only one answer to the void.

We know what it is.

So shine bright, dear reader, and pull others away from that darkness.

Until next time,

Cheers.

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