The latest addition to the MCU, Thunderbolts*, is a rather dark film, which deals with the mental health of its characters through their depression, their bipolar disorder, and their loneliness. Via the past of Bob, the newcomer to the Marvel universe with powers as extraordinary as they are terrifying, the film also ignores a rule previously imposed by Kevin Feige for Deadpool 3...
Thunderbolts*, a mature film
With Thunderbolts*, MCU fans met Bob, a tormented young man whose two alter-egos, the Void and Sentry, shook New York. Used as a guinea pig by O.X.E., Valentina Allegra De Fontaine's mysterious organization, he received the combined powers of several Avengers, making him virtually invincible. The only problem is that his superheroic personality is not without a very dark one, which stems from his bipolar disorder and his depression. Marvel had made a decision early on not to show the darker sides of its characters, such as ignoring Tony Stark's alcoholism, but this time, Bob's drug addiction problems are mentioned on screen. A realistic darkness that the MCU hadn't accustomed us to, and which contrasts with Kevin Feige's rule for Deadpool & Wolverine...
This 'anti-drug' rule from Deadpool 3 ignored
Shawn Levy says the 'No cocaine' rule in #DeadpoolAndWolverine was real
— Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) August 7, 2024
"Early on, Kevin was like, 'Look, we want a fully Deadpool movie. The only thing is maybe we don't do all the drug use, the cocaine use' ... And we were like 'Yes sir, yep, copy that' ... and we went home… pic.twitter.com/v2eqdPx6Wb
Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy, the duo in front of and behind the camera of Deadpool & Wolverine, had received a clear order from Kevin Feige, the big boss of Marvel: no cocaine on screen! The Mercenary talks about it for several minutes with humor and in a very light tone, but the act of taking it is never shown. On the other hand, inThunderbolts*, the subject is tackled head-on, as part of Bob's painful past.
#Thunderbolts spoilers
— kenny :) (@bvckystjames) May 3, 2025
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the fact it’s BOB ON METH in the chicken has made my entire week pic.twitter.com/BILP9DyOR8
Moreover, while he himself is prey to the Nothing, we see him disguised as a chicken, addicted to meth. Barely a year after establishing this rule for Deadpool 3, Jake Schreier's film addresses the subject head-on. The difference with its predecessor lies in the tone: drug use is treated very seriously, without ignoring its tragic consequences. And that's a good thing, because the story would have had less weight and depth without this approach.
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