Every big movie franchise should have their own Bad News Bears squad, with misfits, castoffs and underdogs. And in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that’s the Thunderbolts.
The new adventure “Thunderbolts*” – and yes, there’s a reason for the asterisk – brings together a bunch of scrappy antiheroes and some of the best actors, like Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan and 11-time Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus. It’s a dark action comedy that appeals beyond the usual Marvel fandom, so you’ll want to catch that. Also, the new Netflix marriage comedy “The Four Seasons” is another starry affair (with Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Colman Domingo) while the controversial Western film “Rust” finally is released after years of legal wrangling and tragedy.
Now on to the good stuff:
See Florence Pugh lead Marvel’s latest supergroup in ‘Thunderbolts*’
The Marvel movies have been a bit of a roller coaster since 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Some really good stuff, others that leaned a little mediocre for the considerable high bar set. Thankfully, “Thunderbolts*” reminds of the early, go-for-broke days of the MCU with a crew of lovable characters – David Harbour is the gift that keeps on giving as ex-Soviet super-soldier Red Guardian – and a meaningful narrative that leans on the superpowers of friendship and empathy. (Peep my ★★★ review. and also my parent’s guide.)
I talked with some cast members about navigating their characters’ emotional turmoil in “Thunderbolts*” as well as their return in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” movie. Sebastian Stan, a MCU elder statesman, appeared in the last two “Avengers” movies, “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” and those “felt so out of this world in terms of achievement and being able to get all those people together and everything,” he says. “So how do you build from there to this?”
“Thunderbolts*” also kicks off a big summer movie season, so be sure to check out our preview with exclusive peeks at 15 upcoming films such as “Lilo & Stitch” and “Superman.”
Stream Tina Fey’s new Netflix dramedy, a remake of ‘The Four Seasons’
Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte and Colman Domingo? All in the same show? On paper, the Netflix remake (streaming now) of the cozy 1981 Alan Alda marriage dramedy sounds like a binge-able hit. But TV critic Kelly Lawler is mixed on the story of three couples dealing with relationship issues over one year and four seasonal vacations. In her ★★ review, Kelly writes the show is “as clueless as its characters.”
The original “Four Seasons” was formative for Fey in her preteen years. “It was basically my version of ‘Twilight’ fan fiction,” she quips to my pal Patrick Ryan in an interview. Making the show, which also features her friend and frequent collaborator Erika Henningsen, proved cathartic for Fey following her mom’s death and daughter’s departure to college. “It definitely kept me in the world,” she says, “because I could have easily kept more and more in my house.”
Watch Alec Baldwin’s haunted, controversial Western drama ‘Rust’
My colleague Marco della Cava poses an interesting question in his must-read story about “Rust”: Is it OK to see Alec Baldwin’s Western movie, given that a woman died during filming? In 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set when a prop gun being held by Baldwin discharged a live bullet. After years of lawsuits and courtroom drama, director Joel Souza (who was also injured in the incident) finished the movie (now in theaters and on demand). According to the director, Hutchins’ family wanted her last work to be seen. “They did not want it to simply vanish,” Souza says via email. “Halyna was on my mind every single day. You could feel that with everyone there.”
And “Rust” does succeed at being a tribute to Hutchins. It’s a pretty straightforward Western story that has eerie echoes with real life, but also a gorgeously shot film that showcases the talents of both Hutchins and Bianca Cline, who finished the movie after her death. (Peep my ★★½ review.)
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I’m @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
