“Thunderbolts*” is one of the biggest surprises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, a movie that’s rather mature and dark in its subject matter and approach to exploring mental health, but also an action-packed movie with fun sequences and a great sense of humor. As a team-up film, “Thunderbolts*” lives and dies by its team dynamics, and in this case, that dynamic makes for some hilarious moments and some great banter.

Advertisement

That being said, not all the comedy works in the film. Particularly, despite not being anywhere near on the level of a “Deadpool” movie or an early-days MCU movie, “Thunderbolts*” does have a few nods and references that fall painfully flat or feel forced, like what seems like a nod to a Christmas action-comedy starring David Harbour. Then there’s the reference to Captain America that even left a bad taste in the mouth of one member of the main cast.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wyatt Russell talked about the moment John Walker — the former Captain America who changed his moniker in disgrace and now goes by U.S. Agent — tries to escape an underground vault with Yelena (Florence Pugh), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Bob (Lewis Pullman), yelling “On your left!” as he smashes open a wall with his super shield. “That was a line I didn’t want to say,” Russell said of the line, which wasn’t even meant to be a deliberate nod. “[Director Jake Schreier] felt like we needed something to say in ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement). That was an ADR-ed line. That is not connected at all. It was just something to fill a void.”

Advertisement

In case you need a reminder, the “On your left!” line was first heard in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” when we first meet Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). In a scene, we see Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers go running around the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington D.C. Because Steve is, well, a super soldier, he keeps passing Sam over and over, saying “On your left!” while Sam gets increasingly more annoyed. The moment came full circle when, in “Avengers: Endgame,” Sam is the one who tells the line to Steve when everyone who had disappeared during The Blip came back and joined the final fight against Thanos.

Advertisement

It’s funny to think that John Walker, who gets a shocking amount of depth in the movie, yet doesn’t have a big role in the story, was at one point considered to be the main villain of “Thunderbolts*” instead of Sentry. Not that it wouldn’t work, but Walker feels much more of a TV villain than someone who would require a whole team to bring down.

The “On your left!” line wasn’t the only joke that got a complaint from an actor in the main cast. Bucky has a much bigger role in this movie than some fans would have thought, and he gets some moments of levity that contrast with his grumpy old man demeanor. Case in point, a moment when Bucky uses a dishwasher to clean his prosthetic arm, which Sebastian Stan found deeply unfunny. Still, the show must go on, so the actor went ahead with the scene, and it made it to the final cut.

Advertisement

Not every joke in “Thunderbolts*” works, but it is hard not to at least think of some higher ups working on the film being somewhat concerned about not having some jokes or light moments in a movie about mental health and a guy who evaporates kids and turns them into shadows because he’s depressed.