Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: the new avengers, thunderbolts

Thunderbolts*: The Throwaway Joke That Hit Me Like A Truck

There's a line at the end of T̶h̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶b̶o̶l̶t̶s̶* The New Avengers, which seems like a throwaway joke, but hits different as someone who also has mental health struggles.

Thunderbolts* The New Avengers was not exactly a subtle movie when it came to talking about mental health. That isn't a bad thing; sometimes you need to go over the top to get the point across. This is a movie where you could reasonably argue that the day was saved through the power of love and friendship. Bob is the center of that, but all of the characters in this film have to contend with the sides of themselves that they'd rather avoid.

There is a line during the second post-credits scene that feels different to someone who has experienced their own version of a Void Room. Bob, while never said in the film, judging from the way he describes his episodes, is somewhere in the realm of manic depressive and bipolar. When you're in that high, flying doesn't feel far out of the realm of possibility. It's so strong that often people stop taking their medication during these highs because the good feelings are intense.

The low moments, the depressive episodes, those are something else. Thunderbolts* The New Avengers naming it as a "void" is very accurate. As someone who first realized there was something mentally wrong with her in the sixth grade and finally got help in the seventh, I've been playing the depression game for decades now. It's a common misconception that depression is just really intense sadness. What is much more common when you're in a low moment is apathy.

It's apathy for nearly every aspect of your life. It's apathy regarding your friends, your loved ones, your job, your house, and yourself. It's so heavy and all-consuming that it sits on your entire body like a 300-lb weight, anchoring you to a bed you can't bring yourself to get out of. You stop seeing the people you care about and stop doing very basic things to take care of yourself, like showering, eating, or cleaning your home.

In the post-credits scene for Thunderbolts* The New Avengers, they are talking about how they need to get the jet ready, and it's mentioned how they wish Bob could use his powers so he could fly. It's an exchange played for laughs. Alexei seems into the idea of "riding on a flying Bob into battle," but that's not something they can do. Bob reminds them that they can't have the Sentry without the Void. "But I did the dishes!" he finishes with a certain level of enthusiasm, and it was like a gut punch that I missed the first time I saw the film.

Suddenly, I saw my own piles of laundry during my past depressive episodes, the dusty tables, and the piles of dishes. Sometimes, it takes everything in you to cook food, so doing the dishes is out of the question, and they just pile up.

Bob's enthusiasm for what he contributed to his shared household, doing the dishes, was one of those little lines you could read into. Did the writers of this scene intend to reference the fact that depressed and mentally ill people sometimes get overwhelmed, and the dishes can feel like an accomplishment? Maybe, maybe not, but as someone who has been there and had to celebrate a little victory like doing the dishes? Bob's enthusiasm is rightfully earned.

Thunderbolts* The New Avengers: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

In  Thunderbolts* The New Avengers Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?

Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, and Wendell Edward Pierce.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* The New Avengers with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D'Esposito, Brian Chapek, and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* The New Avengers opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.

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