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I say it's about time we get some dark Marvel movies like Thunderbolts*. While I was never a fan of a dark and gritty treatment given to say, Superman, over at the Warners' DCEU, I'm much more flexible when it comes to Marvel Studios and their characters. Because Marvel Comics has prided itself on representing "the world outside your window," and I don't know about you, but that view is looking pretty grim these days. Look, I'm a longtime fan of Bucky Barnes. I haven't spent all this time and emotion over the years reading and watching his stories because he skips through a grassy field singing songs. I'm here to suffer (emotionally). 

With this in mind, Kevin Feige said in an interview with Marvel Entertainment that Thunderbolts*' focus on topics like mental illness and physical injury arises from a desire to move the future of the MCU forward. "This is our thirty-sixth movie, and we try to evolve, and we try to grow, we try to keep doing different things, and we also, as I always say, look to the comics," Feige said. When asked what he hopes fans will get from Jake Schreier's film, Feige said that he was looking forward to them "seeing something a little more deep, a little more meaningful that might touch them in a way they haven't felt before." 

Given that director Jake Schreier's recently shared to Collider that the film's character design for The Void was inspired by shadows left behind by victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I would say that Feige's assessment of Thunderbolts* is warranted. I don't even think I have the words for how that will make me feel when I see The Void onscreen. If Thunderbolts manages to hit its characters' emotional beats with depth and dignity, then Schreier and Marvel Studios's big creative swing will pay off immensely. 

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters