Thunderbolts is a little too quippy for its own good, but its a solid step toward getting the MCU back on solid footing.

Yes, Thunderbolts* is literally a superhero movie about has-beens fighting off depression. It's more than a little on the nose, given Marvel's trajectory. But what's welcome about it is the lack of pretension, the relatively minimal burden of franchise lore, and the general competence with which the requisite action and comedy beats are assembled.

Most comics-derived superhero movies really wouldn’t be much of anything without buried rage, and what happens when it won’t stay buried. Their stories’ relentless emphasis on childhood trauma and the crippling psychological load carried by broken souls (heroes and villains both) — that’s the whole show.