A parent's guide to 'Thunderbolts*': Is new Marvel movie OK for young kids?

A generation of youngsters have been raised on the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while most of those movies are pretty kid-friendly ("Ant-Man," for example), some do lean older in terms of content.

Last summer's R-rated "Deadpool & Wolverine" was definitely one of those. And the new action-comedy adventure "Thunderbolts*" (in theaters now) is another. While it's an entertaining and meaningful outing – and features Marvel supporting characters that young fans of previous superhero flicks will recognize – the movie is surprisingly dark and pretty heady when it comes to themes of depression and mental health.

So before taking the little ones to the local cineplex, here's what parents need to know about "Thunderbolts*":

What is 'Thunderbolts*' about?

Red Guardian (David Harbour, far left), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) are the scrappy antiheroes of Marvel's "Thunderbolts*."

When antagonistic CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) comes under fire from Congress, she tries to get rid of evidence of her wrongdoing. She lures a bunch of her shadow agents – including Russian assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), invisible operative Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and disgraced former Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Ryssell) – to a remote location so they'll take each other out, but they instead form a team.

These Thunderbolts are joined by Yelena's dad Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) to face off with Valentina, who turns their powerful new friend Bob (Lewis Pullman) against them.

What is the 'Thunderbolts*' age rating?

"Thunderbolts*" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for "strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive and drug references."

Can kids watch 'Thunderbolts*'?

Russian assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) meets the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman) in "Thunderbolts*."

It's more for tweens and teens than younger kids. The movie includes four-letter words and adult-oriented humor, though children of all ages will get a kick out of Harbour's paunchy and scene-stealing Red Guardian. In terms of violence, it's got plenty of gunfight and action scenes, plus one somewhat main character gets shot in the face early in the movie.

The darker, more striking material comes later. When Bob becomes a colorless figure known as The Void and threatens New York City, he erases people in the street, including a young girl, and only a black, body-sized mark is left where they were. (That shadow effect was inspired by images from the aftermath of Hiroshima.) Also, many of the main heroes revisit moments of past trauma and regret, including scenes with Bob and his abusive dad, and the intimated murder of a young girl as Yelena looks on. Those may need some parental guidance or a chat afterward.

Are there any post-credit scenes in 'Thunderbolts*'?

Yes! There is one mid-credits scene that's a humorous bit involving breakfast cereal and a Thunderbolt that kids will enjoy. The more significant one for hardcore fans is after the credits finish, revisiting the characters some time after the movie ends and setting up future Marvel films.

Which Marvel movies do you need to watch before 'Thunderbolts*'?

There's not a ton of homework needed for this – most of the action is self-contained and most of the characters, B- and C-level MCU players, are explained on the fly. If your teen wants to bone up, watch "Black Widow," which explains Yelena and Red Guardian's origin stories and connection to Scarlett Johansson's Avengers heroine, and the series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," which digs into Walker's complicated past with Bucky. Plus, for more on Ghost and her invisibility powers, watch her first appearance in "Ant-Man and the Wasp." (All the past Marvel movies and shows are streaming on Disney+.)

What are some kid-friendly Marvel movies?

Paul Rudd's shrinking hero rides insects and tussles with a ginormous Thomas the Tank Engine in "Ant-Man," so that for sure is best for the kiddos. The original "Avengers" is OK for little ones, as is the World War II throwback "Captain America: The First Avenger." And for those who dig school movies, tuck into "Spider-Man: Homecoming" with Tom Holland as the young web-swinger caught between superhero duties and living life as a teenager.