Explanation of the ending of Thunderbolts*

      Marvel Studios has released another thrilling superhero ensemble film with director Jake Schreier's *Thunderbolts*. The movie showcases a team of antiheroes, each seeking a new direction after their past misdeeds, who unite to take down corrupt CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the all-powerful Sentry (Lewis Pullman) as they seek redemption.

      *Thunderbolts* serves as a significant David and Goliath narrative, where its lesser-known heroes confront a formidable supervillain in a dark, poignant story. With the next Avengers film just a few months away, this movie lays essential groundwork for the upcoming major conflict in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Concurrently, its morally ambiguous characters undergo considerable growth in their latest journey, preparing them for future challenges. Now that *Thunderbolts* has hit theaters, it's evident that audiences can anticipate much more following the conclusion of Marvel’s latest blockbuster.

      What’s the storyline?

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      *Thunderbolts* begins with a covert operation led by Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who struggles with a sense of emptiness after mourning her adoptive sister, Natasha Romanoff. Yelena approaches Val, who faces potential impeachment, requesting a more meaningful public role as an agent. Val consents on the condition that Yelena completes one last mission: eliminate a thief targeting one of her clandestine labs.

      At the laboratory, Yelena confronts Ava Starr/Walker (Hannah John-Kamen), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell). This mission turns out to be an ambush orchestrated by Valentina, aimed at having them eliminate one another to cover up her illicit activities, which include human experiments that resulted in several fatalities. Although Antonia is killed during the skirmish, her absence is filled by Pullman’s character, Bob, a depressed drug addict with little recollection of how he ended up at the lab.

      After an uneasy collaboration to escape, Bob distracts Val’s agents to facilitate the others’ getaway. It is then revealed that Bob is a superpowered individual created by Val’s organization after they abducted him and administered a special serum. Upon discovering Bob’s survival from their experiments, Val manipulates his suggestible mind, convincing him to become Earth’s Mightiest Hero, The Sentry. She aims to harness his immense power to protect the American public and secure her political standing.

      Following their escape, Yelena, Ava, and Walker are picked up by Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), now working as a limo driver who overheard Val’s scheme. They are eventually apprehended by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who traced them down with the assistance of Val’s conflicted aide Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) in his quest to expose Val’s wrongdoing and push for her impeachment. Learning of Val’s intentions for Bob, Bucky persuades Yelena and her crew to ally with him against her. Alexei dubs their group the “Thunderbolts,” named after Yelena’s childhood soccer team.

      The heroes confront Val at the Watchtower, the former Avengers Tower, in an attempt to apprehend her. However, they must contend with the Sentry, who easily outmatches them. Despite Val instructing Bob to eliminate them, he refuses, recognizing that they pose no threat. Realizing Val’s deception, Bob turns against her, but Mel activates a failsafe device within him. Although Bob survives this lethal attempt, the Void—Bob’s dark aspect stemming from his feelings of isolation and despair—awakens.

      The Void engulfs New York City in a dark cloud, transforming its inhabitants into shadows. As the Thunderbolts venture into the darkness unleashed by the Void to rescue Bob, they are met with painful memories from their pasts, particularly those of Yelena and Bob. Ultimately, the group confronts the Void, with Bob attempting to overpower it physically, which only allows the Void to consume him further. The Thunderbolts then embrace Bob, helping him overcome his loneliness with their support.

      How does it conclude?

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      With Bob’s dark side subdued, he, the Thunderbolts, and the citizens of New York are restored from the Void. Although the Thunderbolts aim to detain Val, she cleverly positions them before the paparazzi she summoned, presenting them as the heroes she has assembled: the New Avengers. In a desperate move to salvage her reputation, the Thunderbolts play along, with Yelena threatening her by stating, “We own you now.” With Val compelled to back them, Yelena and her team swiftly gain fame, albeit as controversial inhabitants in the shadow of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

      In a post-credits scene, the New Avengers gather to discuss Sam