What's in an asterisk? Marvel's 'Thunderbolts*' is action with unexpected allegory

Perhaps the first thing audiences notice about Marvel's "Thunderbolts*" is that there is an asterisk at the end of the title. It's led to plenty of speculation about the film.

Yes, the asterisk could eventually mean something deeper about this Marvel movie, but you'll have to watch it to understand that. While filmmakers may not have had this thought in mind, another way to interpret this asterisk is that this is a different kind of Marvel movie.

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Sure, there's all the cinematic action and Marvel Universe flare. There are superheroes, well-placed laughs, punches, and super suits. It's a Marvel movie. The underlying allegory of "Thunderbolts*" — the moral of the story — is more upfront and present in this film than most other Marvel movies. Themes of depression, anxiety, isolation, and navigating mental health lay a strong foundation of the story. Anybody who has been on an anti-depressant or done talk therapy will likely relate to aspects of this movie.

The asterisk could therefore be interpreted as: "A Marvel movie, but maybe a bit different kind of Marvel movie, probably a bit emo, like we're taking things in a direction that might not seem so apt for making toys or homages to '80s fun, but it's still super action with fantastical feats." Marvel has some pretty good marketing people, so I'm sure they could boil that down into something more concise.

"Thunderbolts*" leans heavily on the character of Yelena Belova, who was last seen in 2021's "Black Widow" and the "Hawkeye" series. She could be seen as Black Widow 2.0, but she's really the "Captain America" of this rag-tag team of super ne'er-do-wells — their leader and compass. The Thunderbolts are essentially "the other guys" team, filled with characters that were picked last for superhero softball. They've not been so great in the past and they have something to prove. Nobody believes in them.

Randomly walking into this mix is Bob. Who is he? Who invited him? But he's here so I guess we'll go with it. The Thunderbolts aren't brought together by choice, but they make the best of it as they navigate the dark underworld of politics, fight the powers that be, uncover a conspiracy, and discover that banding together might give them all a path out of their sour moods. Cue the explosions.

Marvel has only scratched the surface of this thematic territory with films like "Iron Man 3" or the "WandaVision" series, covering issues of PTSD, panic attacks, and mental health in the wake of trauma. Comic readers have long known that such material is common in the graphic books. Audiences who primarily know this universe via the movie theater may not immediately expect it. "Thunderbolts*" also delivers a message that seems to span across the Marvel universe — No matter where you come from, whatever you've done or been through, you can always rise higher to a better place. Despite how life may seem at any moment, you're never truly alone.

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"Thunderbolts*" might not be what some audience members expect, but the other part is all Marvel action fun.

Thunderbolts*

3.5/5 stars

Screen or stream?: I'd say fans could wait to stream this one, but if you're just gonna put it on TV and scroll Instagram, then get to a movie theater. This movie is one you will want to pay attention to. Just put this one screen in front of you for "Thunderbolts*". Hollywood has hyped this movie for IMAX screens, but honestly, there's nothing so spectacular here for you to really need IMAX. See it on the extra big screen if you want a little extra for this film, but a regular movie theater screen is perfectly fine.

Rated PG-13: Explosions, guns, and punches with a story that deals heavily with depression, trauma, and mental illness.

Good for kids?: Maybe teens or early teens (depending on how cool of a parent you are), especially if they're starting to listen to emo music.