In this episode, Father Matt and Father Brian discuss Thunderbolts* (2025), the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They explore the film’s central themes of trauma and the power of love to overcome conflict, drawing connections to Christian understandings of suffering. The episode also includes reflections on recent films they've watched, commentary on the direction of the Marvel franchise, and a fun mythology quiz to wrap things up.

0:28: Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt begin by catching up on the few months since they last recorded an episode, discussing the appointment of Archbishop Weisenburger as Archbishop of Detroit and the election of Pope Leo XIV. They also catch up on some of the movies they’ve recently seen, including The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) depicting the relationship between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II during the painting of the Sistine Chapel; Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 remake starring Keira Knightley; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005); Snow White (2025); and Warfare, (2025) about he real-life experiences of soldiers in the 2003-2011 Iraq War.

10:41: Fr. Brian introduces the film that is the focus of this episode, Thunderbolts*. Released in 2025, the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.

11:48: Fr. Matt and Fr. Brian discuss the expansiveness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which shows and movies they’ve seen, and how keeping up with all this content can make it difficult for casual viewers to keep up with the characters, plots, and maintain a sense of engagement with the heroic characters. Our hosts also discuss how the last several Marvel shows and films seem to have been trying to convey a message or promote an agenda rather than simply tell an entertaining story.

16:33: Fr. Matt provides a brief overview of the plot and main characters of Thunderbolts*.

24:41: Fr. Brian and Fr. Matt discuss some of the major themes in the film: how to deal with the parts of ourselves that we may not like, managing the effects of wounds from our pasts, and breaking the stranglehold that psychological trauma can have on our lives.

28:46: Fr. Matt talks about how the film depicts the power of love to overcome conflict. Fr Brian adds to that discussion, noting that for the characters in the film, their success only comes when they stop working in isolation and begin working together. This is very much akin to our understanding that we do not suffer alone; Christ enters into our suffering with us.

30:56: Fr. Matt notes that the film also portrays the notion that we are not defined by our worst moments and that great freedom can come from bringing them to the light.

34:16: Our hosts share their “seeds of the word” ratings for the film, based on how clearly they saw goodness, truth, and beauty reflected in the story.

39:46: In the last segment, Fr. Brain quizzes Fr. Matt about characters from Roman and Greek mythology.

“Thunderbolts*” and the Power of Redemptive Suffering