"You're Not Alone": Why Thunderbolts* Might Be Marvel’s Most Human Movie Yet

Thunderbolts* 2025 poster

(This piece contains spoilers for Thunderbolts* and discusses themes of mental health, including depression.)

When I sat down to watch Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, I had no idea it would leave such an emotional impact, like an unexpected hug on a cold day. It offered comfort I didn’t know I needed.

At first, I was ecstatic to see what all the buzz was about surrounding Marvel’s latest project. Now, after watching Thunderbolts*, I’m more than just impressed, I’m genuinely moved.

To those new to the Marvel cinematic universe, Thunderbolts* follows anti-heroes Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker as they engage on a dangerous mission that forces them to face their darkest secrets and past. 

As a longtime Marvel fan, I knew the drill: a big bad villain, bold new and old characters, a killer soundtrack, and a mission that could change everything.Throughout the movie, they depicted mental health disorders like depression so well, I was shocked. However, the main reason I loved how they depicted these issues was because that’s how I felt at one time or another. 

From the opening scene, Yelena’s voice carries a quiet exhaustion, like someone worn down not just by grief, but by herself. 'There is something wrong with me. An emptiness. I thought it started when my sister died, but now it feels like something bigger.' Her words are heavy, honest, and haunting.

I felt an unexpectedly deep connection to this fictional character, not just because she was one of my favorites (though she absolutely was), but because she didn’t feel right. She was struggling, and in a way that felt real to me.

Later on, she became even more real when she confessed to her father about losing her sister, but most importantly, how she felt about herself. 

When that scene played, when Yelena said, 'Daddy, I'm so alone...', I was stunned. Her words weren’t just dialogue; they were a window into a mind consumed by guilt, loneliness, and exhaustion. The film didn’t dress up her depression. It showed it as something raw, cyclical, and painfully real. 

But Yelena wasn’t the only one carrying invisible weight. Lewis Pullman’s character, Bob, was a powerful portrayal of someone grappling with depression and severe mental health issues, including the haunting presence of his alter ego, 'Void.' The way the film handled his narrative, with patience, depth, and care, meant the world to me. 

At one point in the film, Bob mentions having 'good days' and 'bad ones', a subtle but powerful nod to struggles like Bipolar disorder. It added another layer of authenticity to his character, showing how complex and varied these experiences can be.

But the moment that stayed with me most was when Bob faced off against Void, throwing punches at his alter ego while being slowly swallowed by his own darkness. It wasn’t just a fight scene; it was a visual metaphor for what it feels like to battle inner demons. Realizing what was happening, Yelena rushed to him, wrapped him in a hug, and softly whispered, 'You’re not alone.' One by one, the others joined, surrounding him in a shared embrace. That scene broke me in the best way. 

The Void is the literal manifestation of Bob’s depression, and that’s why I found it so beautiful that they defeated him not with force, but with the strength of a found family. It wasn’t about winning a fight, it was about showing up for someone in their darkest moment. It was a moving scene that told me something I didn’t know I needed to hear: I’m not alone, not anymore. And maybe, just maybe, I can save myself from my own darkness before I, too, disappear into the Void.

Overall, this movie defied all expectations I had going in. I thought it was going to be a Marvel movie like the ones before, like Avengers: Endgame or even Spider-Man, but no. Marvel made a movie about mental health and how it’s okay to fail. It’s okay to feel like you are nothing, or that you have nothing to offer, but there’s still hope. You can do great things. You do deserve a place in this world. And somehow, I was alive to see that message unfold on a movie screen. Marvel shows that mental health matters in a powerful way that made me adore this movie even more. So when someone asks me why I love Thunderbolts* so much, I just tell them, ‘watch it and you’ll see.’