Thunderbolts ended up exceeding expectations and has become one of the few movies Marvel superhero fans have liked in recent years. The DCEU had beaten the MCU to the punch in trying to create a superhero team of comic book bad guys, but failed miserably—both commercially and critically.
On the surface, Thunderbolts and Suicide Squad feel like offshoots of each other, but there are considerable differences between the two movies, which largely explain why Thunderbolts was so much more successful than Suicide Squad. Thunderbolts is a movie that will have a lasting impact on the MCU, while Suicide Squad served as a prime example of why the DCEU fell apart.
7 There is Already Established Continuity With the Characters
An advantage the MCU has continuously had over the DCEU is that it has taken the time to build up its universe. The entire cast of Suicide Squad, including its protagonist Harley Quinn, made their debut in the same movie. There isn’t much weight to a team of supervillains when no one has ever seen them fight superheroes before. There’s no established connection with the fanbase, and there’s the added task of making people care about these brand-new characters within one movie—something Suicide Squad failed to do.
Similar to The Avengers, most of the key members of Thunderbolts appeared in previous movies and series. The Winter Soldier has been in numerous movies and shows. The rest of the cast were either supporting characters or major antagonists in earlier content. Sentry is the only new character, and because of that, Thunderbolts can dedicate more time to developing the mystery and intrigue surrounding his introduction throughout the movie.
6 Valentina's Motivations are More Thoughtout Than Amanda's
Amanda Waller created the Suicide Squad on purpose. She believed that having a team of supervillains would be a useful weapon against superheroes who might turn rogue. However, it doesn’t feel believable, since most of the rogues she assembled aren’t very threatening. How would Harley Quinn or Killer Croc help fight Superman? Is a guy who can throw a boomerang really going to take down Wonder Woman? Furthermore, her assumption that these individuals could work well together simply because they had bombs implanted in them doesn’t feel convincing for someone as calculated as Waller.
Valentina, on the other hand, banked on the Thunderbolts never being able to work together. Her plan was for them to kill each other, and they ended up forming a team despite her expectations. Valentina only saw value in Sentry once she realized his powers actually worked. Her PR pivot into branding the Thunderbolts as the «New Avengers» fits well with a Machiavellian character like her.
5 Thunderbolts are Actual Heroes
The comparisons between Suicide Squad and Thunderbolts usually stem from the comic books, which revolve around supervillains turning into good guys. Thunderbolts offers a more nuanced take, as not everyone on the team is an actual supervillain. “Antagonist” is a better word for many of them—they’ve been obstacles to other MCU heroes in the past, but few were truly evil.
John Walker, for example, was a highly decorated soldier fighting on behalf of his government. At the very least, he was no more villainous than War Machine. Bucky committed several crimes over the decades, but he had no agency over his actions due to Hydra’s brainwashing. The characters in Suicide Squad are one-note. Most members are just thugs motivated by money and murder. In Thunderbolts, only a few characters were mercenaries, and even then, they turned to that path due to a perceived lack of options and an underlying insecurity about trying to become heroes.
4 Suicide Squad Plays Clear Favorites With Its Characters
Harley Quinn is clearly the star of the show, with Deadshot being another major character. After those two, it’s difficult to say anything of substance about the rest of the Suicide Squad. Much of the roster exists for gags or simply to fill space, which is likely why many of them were not brought back in James Gunn’s version of the team.
Although Yelena is the protagonist and leader of Thunderbolts, her presence isn’t overbearing. She doesn’t feel any more important to the team than someone like U.S. Agent. Bucky and Bob both bring charisma, intrigue, and gravitas. Red Guardian has his ups and downs. The only character who feels a bit underdeveloped is Ghost, but Thunderbolts does a tremendous job of juggling all the heroes, while also fleshing out Valentina.
3 Some of the Best Action Scenes in the MCU are in Thunderbolts
There was a strong mix of CGI, practical effects, and classic fight choreography in the stellar action scenes of Thunderbolts. The cinematography and framing during the scene where the Thunderbolts are tricked into hunting each other were highly dynamic, perfectly juggling each character’s perspective during the battle royale. The first fight scene features Yelena dismantling a security force in a perfectly synchronized martial arts sequence, captured with a bird’s-eye view. When the film leans into CGI for scenes featuring Sentry, it effectively captures his speed, presence, and overwhelming power.
Forgettable is the best way to describe the fights in Suicide Squad. Much of the action consists of lazy gunplay that lacks cinematic shots with impact or memorability. The fight scenes are poorly lit, and there’s no creativity in how characters’ powers or abilities are utilized.
2 The Art Direction of Suicide Squad Lacked Imagination
With the aesthetics of Jared Leto’s Joker in Suicide Squad, it seems like the film was aiming for a street or punk vibe. However, Suicide Squad doesn’t do anything unique with its costumes, lighting, editing, or set design. It occasionally captures the blend of madness and cheerful chaos that defines Harley Quinn, but overall, the visuals and audio are just as dry as Deadshot’s personality.
There is far more style in Thunderbolts. Ghost’s phasing ability makes her one of the most visually striking characters in the MCU. The final act, when Sentry transforms into Void, features some of the eeriest imagery the MCU has ever produced. From the Void’s frightening eyes to the scene of little girls being zapped into the abyss, it delivers a sense of horror that the MCU has never explored before.
1 Thunderbolts Felt Like It Mattered
The aftermath of Suicide Squad reveals that the characters received ten years off their prison sentences. That doesn’t feel particularly impactful in the grand scheme of the DCEU. The Joker made a brief cameo, but beyond that, Suicide Squad had little influence on any other DCEU films. There’s a minor post-credit scene where Bruce Wayne learns about Wonder Woman and Flash from Amanda Waller, and that’s about it. Suicide Squad had so little impact that James Gunn essentially made a sequel that ignored most of its canon in The Suicide Squad.
No one could have predicted that the Thunderbolts would become a central element of the MCU. The twist of the team being rebranded as the New Avengers is exciting and makes the audience feel that their investment in these characters was worthwhile. There also seems to be a brewing rivalry between the New Avengers and the team that Sam Wilson is assembling.
