The MCU's most emotionally honest entry in years — Thunderbolts* takes depression and identity seriously rather than using them as action-movie backstory, and its redemption framework is surprisingly resonant for a superhero film.
Thunderbolts* is unusual among superhero films in centering its story on characters who are genuinely broken — not tragically heroic, just struggling. Yelena's opening sequence depicting her functional depression is one of the most accurate portrayals of that experience in mainstream blockbuster cinema. The film takes seriously that some people wake up every day and have to choose to get out of bed, and that this is its own form of courage.
Christians who minister to people with depression will find this portrayal valuable. The film's implicit message — that broken people can still be worth something, that community can provide a reason to keep going — aligns with the biblical understanding that God works through the weak and the struggling (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The film's villain/antivillain, the Sentry, embodies the danger of an identity built entirely on power and performance. Without spoiling the resolution, his arc is a cautionary portrait of what happens when a person's sense of self is not grounded in anything beyond their own capabilities. This resonates with Proverbs 16:18 — pride goes before destruction.
Thunderbolts* has the standard MCU action violence, some language, and the sustained emotional weight of its depression themes. Appropriate for ages 13+ with parental guidance for younger teens. Not for children.
Children's media shapes formation in ways adult media does not — children are not yet equipped with the critical distance to evaluate what they're consuming. The question is not just "is this harmful?" but "what is this teaching?" Content that is harmless by adult standards may still normalize values, relationships, or worldviews that parents want to introduce differently.
GodlyScore evaluates children's content with heightened sensitivity to: how families are depicted (intact two-parent families, gender roles), whether content normalizes LGBT relationships (harder caps for children's content), spiritual content (positive, neutral, or negative toward Christianity), and whether the overall tone encourages imagination, kindness, and virtue or passivity and entitlement.
For Thunderbolts* (2025): 39/100 Caution. Review with your child's specific age and sensitivity in mind. Christian parents should also evaluate screen time holistically — even excellent content can become harmful if it displaces outdoor play, reading, family interaction, and creative play. Common Sense Media provides detailed age-by-age content guidance. See our Christian TV Reviews hub for similar shows evaluated with the same framework.
GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. Thunderbolts 2025 scores 39/100 Caution.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: older teenagers and adults.