Thunderbolts (film)

Thunderbolts is a 2016 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It was directed by Gareth Edwards and stars William Hurt, Wynn Everett, Tim Blake Nelson, Michael B. Jordan, Corey Stoll, Cobie Smulders, Bridget Regan, Sebastian Stan, Aaron Himelstein, Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr.. It was released on December 16, 2016.

Plot
2 years after the events of The Hulk: Gamma World, Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross left the Hulk team to pursue a new career as the Secretary of State. However, after accidentally turning into the Red Hulk and killing the Vice President, Ross was arrested. However, Maria Hill and Cameron Klein of S.H.I.E.L.D., or the branch in the CIA, give him the opportunity to join a special team of supervillains that S.H.I.E.L.D. will use to stop bigger threats. Ross agrees. Ross is brought to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base where he reunites with Samuel Sterns/The Leader and meets Whitney Frost/Madame Masque, Erik Killmonger, Darren Cross/Yellowjacket, Yelena Belova/Black Widow, and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. Tony Stark/Iron Man was put in charge of the program by Nick Fury.

After training, Hill learns from Thor that his brother Loki has escaped and has plans for Earth. Stark learns that the Avengers are unable due to having been trapped by Loki. Hill and Klein send in the team. Ross comes up with the name, the Thunderbolts, which others agree on. Soon, Frost Giants attack the group and nearly kill Bucky, who Klein takes to the S.H.I.E.L.D. infirmary. Loki appears to the group and tries to convince them to join his side. Yelena decides to and leaves the group. Hill tries to get S.H.I.E.L.D. to shoot her down, but she dodges all the shots and leaves with Loki. Ross, Frost, Sterns, and Hill go to find the core that Loki is using to bring his Frost Giants to Earth while Killmonger, Cross, and Iron Man go to find Loki.

Ross' group meets up with Klein and Bucky, who has recovered. They find out that Loki is using the Tree of Life, that holds the Nine Realms, to transport armies from all the realms. After weakening the tree, which almost would've collapsed the Nine Realms, the portal is shut down and they now must defeat the remaining armies. Killmonger's group find Loki, who has built a throne around the Statue of Liberty. Killmonger almost kills Loki, but Iron Man stops him. Cross then shoots at Loki, but Yelena sacrifices herself for Loki and dies. Loki is angry and attacks Cross but Iron Man flies Loki to the portal, which Hill opened back up, and throws him back to Asgard. Hill closes the portal agin. Cross is revealed to have been stabbed by Loki and is slowly dying. The team regroups as Cross dies.

Cross and Yelena are buried and the rest of the team are put in a holding cell until the next threat comes. Stark convinces Hill to shave off ten years from their sentences in exchange for their help.

In a mid-credits scene, Ross is ambushed and brought to a rocket where he is put under stasis.

Cast

 * William Hurt as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross/Red Hulk
 * Wynn Everett as Whitney Frost/Madame Masque
 * Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader
 * Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger
 * Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket
 * Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
 * Bridget Regan as Yelena Belova/Black Widow
 * Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky" Barnes/Winter Soldier
 * Aaron Himelstein as Cameron Klein
 * Tom Hiddleston as Loki
 * Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man

Box office
Thunderbolts grossed $532.2 million (50.4%) in the United States and Canada and $523.8 (49.6%) in other territories for a total of $1.056 billion. The film is the second highest-grossing 2016 film, the fourth highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, out of fifteen. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $155.1 million.

Critical reception
Thunderbolts received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 346 reviews with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thunderbolts does a great job in creating a new team narrative while keeping the continuity from other films."