Thunderbolts*: A Superhero Movie about Mental Health | the Void Personified
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VOICE OVER: Emily Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
Dive deep into how "Thunderbolts" tackles mental health through superhero storytelling. From Yelena's trauma to Bob's struggle with the Void, we explore how this MCU film portrays depression, PTSD, and healing through connection. See how Marvel's antiheroes become each other's strongest support system in their battle against inner demons. We analyze the powerful metaphor of the Void as depression personified, the significance of "shame rooms," and how the film demonstrates that recovery isn't about fighting alone but finding strength in vulnerability and support from others.
Thunderbolts*: A Superhero Movie About Mental Health, the Void Personified
Welcome to MsMojo, and today were unpacking the mental health themes explored in Thunderbolts*. Well be going into some significant spoilers.
Thunderbolts* isnt the first MCU project to touch upon mental health. Even some of the original Avengers like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had their fair share of inner demons to work through. That said, Tony got over his PTSD pretty quickly in Iron Man 3 and 2008s The Incredible Hulk cut out a heavy-handed scene where Bruce considers taking his own life. Jessica Jones didnt hold back in its portrayal of trauma. Since that was initially developed for Netflix, though, it could go to places the MCU was usually afraid to touch. The MCU stopped tiptoeing around mental health with WandaVision, where grief was a central theme. Wanda tries combating grief with escapism, which can be comforting until you let it warp reality.
Instead of watching old sitcoms, Yelena Belova deals with trauma by throwing herself into work. This is taken literally in the opening scene as Yelena jumps off a tower, saying, Theres something wrong with me. Its not what you think, as Yelena is wearing a parachute. At the same time, seeing Yelena jump from one of the tallest buildings in the world sums up her current state of mind. Yelena is falling into an empty void, searching for a purpose. Shes also attempting to outrun her emotionally scarring past. Not just the sudden loss of her sister, but also the innocent blood on Yelenas hands. In a way, Yelena seems like she might welcome death if it came for her.
That said, when John Walker attempts to put a bullet in her, Yelena instinctively fights for her life. Ava Starr and Antonia Dreykov soon join the fight, with the latter not being as lucky. Also in the mix is Bob Reynolds, who seems like the least threatening person in the room. Of course, the people who go overlooked are often the ones who catch you off guard. The guns for hire eventually realize that they were each sent to assassinate one another. Instead, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine inadvertently creates a support group. The Thunderbolts, as theyre tentatively called, find they wont survive Valentinas death trap without each others help. Upon escaping, the Thunderbolts still need each other in more ways than one.
Bucky Barnes serves as a counselor of sorts in Thunderbolts*. Few MCU characters have endured more trauma than the brainwashed Winter Soldier. Thankfully, Bucky had friends like Steve Rogers to help him come back. Yet, Bucky wouldnt truly begin the healing process until he entered therapy. Even after surviving multiple wars, Bucky still found himself trapped in his own version of hell. Bucky managed to escape that void by opening up to others and finally confronting the shame he had been running from. Like Bucky once was, the other Thunderbolts are lost in a sea of isolation. Despite claiming they work better alone, each needs a helping hand, none more than Bob, who gained powers after being subjected to Valentinas experiments.
Physically, Bob is invincible. His mental well-being is far more fragile, however. Before gaining his powers, Bob endured an abusive childhood, leading to a lonely adulthood plagued by substance use disorder. He trades one needle for another, hoping the experiment will turn his life around. Bob is kicked to the curb until Valentina discovers that the experiment actually worked. Valentina tries to make Bob the new face of the Avengers, dubbing him Sentry. Instead, she unleashes the Void, the personification of depression. Bobs quick switch from Sentry to the Void could be seen as an allegory for Bipolar Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder, showing how easily even the most unintimidating person can suddenly become a danger to themselves and others.
As the Void, Bob becomes an unrecognizable shadow of his former self. His pain spreads across New York, trapping anyone who comes in direct contact with the Void in shame rooms, as the filmmakers call them. Inside, people revive their worst memories on an endless loop. For Yelena, its primarily the guilt shes carried since betraying a childhood friend. For Walker, its the self-destruction that tore his family apart. Even Valentina has buried trauma, having witnessed her fathers death. Although there wasnt enough time to spotlight every characters shame room, Schreier says that Alexeis wouldve been the gulag, and Avas was an orphanage where she was virtually invisible. They considered a few shame rooms for Bucky, including a memory from Boy Scout camp.
The Void is one foe the heroes cant shoot at or punch. Running is an option, although that will only delay the inevitable as the Void causes further harm. Yelena realizes that the only way to stop the Void is from within. Joined by her fellow team members, they find that Bob is also a prisoner of the Void. For him, two moments stand out: the abuse he faced at the hands of his father and the day he signed up for the experiment. Bob mightve initially seen the experiment as an easy fix. Of course, there isnt a universal, end-all cure for mental illness. While antidepressants can certainly help, many people require a balance of medication, therapy, self-care, and a strong support unit.
Bob finds his support group in the Thunderbolts, who understand that the Void cant be overcome alone. Even when Bob summons the strength to stand up to the Void, trying to use physical force only makes the enemy within stronger. The more punches Bob throws, the more the darkness consumes him. It isnt until the others pull him back that Bob can see the light again, breaking free. This is only the beginning of Bobs recovery, however. The Void hasnt been entirely defeated either. As Valentina mentioned, the Void is stronger than all of the Avengers combined. The same can be said about depression, which even Earths Mightiest Heroes are vulnerable to. You cant merely snap it out of existence, but it can be managed.
In the post-credit scene, we see Bob coping over a year later. While Bob acknowledges that the Void still exists, hes in a good place with his friends in his corner. Since his debut in the comics, the Void has been linked to mental illness. The filmmakers reached out to Paul Jenkins, who co-created the character, for input. Director Jake Schreier also drew from his personal experience, telling Variety, that character was always based on a friend of mine who has gone through a lot of this stuff, and would have these very high highs, and would always bring in this very self-destructive quality underneath it. He really needed to learn how to exist within the middle of that and be okay with being himself.
Although Bob is the most powerful member of the Thunderbolts - or New Avengers as theyve been rebranded - hes in the most dire need of saving. Ironically, his friends are vastly underpowered by comparison. Some of them dont even have powers. Perhaps more than any other MCU movie, Thunderbolts* shows that you dont need superstrength, flight, or an expensive suit to save the day. By simply lending a hand to someone in need, anyone can be a hero, even the so-called outcasts who feel detached from the rest of the world. Its also a reminder that asking for help is one of the bravest things a person can do. Theres a bit of the Void in all of us, but that means theres also a Sentry.
What did you think of Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments.
Welcome to MsMojo, and today were unpacking the mental health themes explored in Thunderbolts*. Well be going into some significant spoilers.
Thunderbolts* isnt the first MCU project to touch upon mental health. Even some of the original Avengers like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had their fair share of inner demons to work through. That said, Tony got over his PTSD pretty quickly in Iron Man 3 and 2008s The Incredible Hulk cut out a heavy-handed scene where Bruce considers taking his own life. Jessica Jones didnt hold back in its portrayal of trauma. Since that was initially developed for Netflix, though, it could go to places the MCU was usually afraid to touch. The MCU stopped tiptoeing around mental health with WandaVision, where grief was a central theme. Wanda tries combating grief with escapism, which can be comforting until you let it warp reality.
Instead of watching old sitcoms, Yelena Belova deals with trauma by throwing herself into work. This is taken literally in the opening scene as Yelena jumps off a tower, saying, Theres something wrong with me. Its not what you think, as Yelena is wearing a parachute. At the same time, seeing Yelena jump from one of the tallest buildings in the world sums up her current state of mind. Yelena is falling into an empty void, searching for a purpose. Shes also attempting to outrun her emotionally scarring past. Not just the sudden loss of her sister, but also the innocent blood on Yelenas hands. In a way, Yelena seems like she might welcome death if it came for her.
That said, when John Walker attempts to put a bullet in her, Yelena instinctively fights for her life. Ava Starr and Antonia Dreykov soon join the fight, with the latter not being as lucky. Also in the mix is Bob Reynolds, who seems like the least threatening person in the room. Of course, the people who go overlooked are often the ones who catch you off guard. The guns for hire eventually realize that they were each sent to assassinate one another. Instead, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine inadvertently creates a support group. The Thunderbolts, as theyre tentatively called, find they wont survive Valentinas death trap without each others help. Upon escaping, the Thunderbolts still need each other in more ways than one.
Bucky Barnes serves as a counselor of sorts in Thunderbolts*. Few MCU characters have endured more trauma than the brainwashed Winter Soldier. Thankfully, Bucky had friends like Steve Rogers to help him come back. Yet, Bucky wouldnt truly begin the healing process until he entered therapy. Even after surviving multiple wars, Bucky still found himself trapped in his own version of hell. Bucky managed to escape that void by opening up to others and finally confronting the shame he had been running from. Like Bucky once was, the other Thunderbolts are lost in a sea of isolation. Despite claiming they work better alone, each needs a helping hand, none more than Bob, who gained powers after being subjected to Valentinas experiments.
Physically, Bob is invincible. His mental well-being is far more fragile, however. Before gaining his powers, Bob endured an abusive childhood, leading to a lonely adulthood plagued by substance use disorder. He trades one needle for another, hoping the experiment will turn his life around. Bob is kicked to the curb until Valentina discovers that the experiment actually worked. Valentina tries to make Bob the new face of the Avengers, dubbing him Sentry. Instead, she unleashes the Void, the personification of depression. Bobs quick switch from Sentry to the Void could be seen as an allegory for Bipolar Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder, showing how easily even the most unintimidating person can suddenly become a danger to themselves and others.
As the Void, Bob becomes an unrecognizable shadow of his former self. His pain spreads across New York, trapping anyone who comes in direct contact with the Void in shame rooms, as the filmmakers call them. Inside, people revive their worst memories on an endless loop. For Yelena, its primarily the guilt shes carried since betraying a childhood friend. For Walker, its the self-destruction that tore his family apart. Even Valentina has buried trauma, having witnessed her fathers death. Although there wasnt enough time to spotlight every characters shame room, Schreier says that Alexeis wouldve been the gulag, and Avas was an orphanage where she was virtually invisible. They considered a few shame rooms for Bucky, including a memory from Boy Scout camp.
The Void is one foe the heroes cant shoot at or punch. Running is an option, although that will only delay the inevitable as the Void causes further harm. Yelena realizes that the only way to stop the Void is from within. Joined by her fellow team members, they find that Bob is also a prisoner of the Void. For him, two moments stand out: the abuse he faced at the hands of his father and the day he signed up for the experiment. Bob mightve initially seen the experiment as an easy fix. Of course, there isnt a universal, end-all cure for mental illness. While antidepressants can certainly help, many people require a balance of medication, therapy, self-care, and a strong support unit.
Bob finds his support group in the Thunderbolts, who understand that the Void cant be overcome alone. Even when Bob summons the strength to stand up to the Void, trying to use physical force only makes the enemy within stronger. The more punches Bob throws, the more the darkness consumes him. It isnt until the others pull him back that Bob can see the light again, breaking free. This is only the beginning of Bobs recovery, however. The Void hasnt been entirely defeated either. As Valentina mentioned, the Void is stronger than all of the Avengers combined. The same can be said about depression, which even Earths Mightiest Heroes are vulnerable to. You cant merely snap it out of existence, but it can be managed.
In the post-credit scene, we see Bob coping over a year later. While Bob acknowledges that the Void still exists, hes in a good place with his friends in his corner. Since his debut in the comics, the Void has been linked to mental illness. The filmmakers reached out to Paul Jenkins, who co-created the character, for input. Director Jake Schreier also drew from his personal experience, telling Variety, that character was always based on a friend of mine who has gone through a lot of this stuff, and would have these very high highs, and would always bring in this very self-destructive quality underneath it. He really needed to learn how to exist within the middle of that and be okay with being himself.
Although Bob is the most powerful member of the Thunderbolts - or New Avengers as theyve been rebranded - hes in the most dire need of saving. Ironically, his friends are vastly underpowered by comparison. Some of them dont even have powers. Perhaps more than any other MCU movie, Thunderbolts* shows that you dont need superstrength, flight, or an expensive suit to save the day. By simply lending a hand to someone in need, anyone can be a hero, even the so-called outcasts who feel detached from the rest of the world. Its also a reminder that asking for help is one of the bravest things a person can do. Theres a bit of the Void in all of us, but that means theres also a Sentry.
What did you think of Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments.
