In an age of sequels, spin-offs, reboots, and remakes, it comes as no surprise that the popular network Nickelodeon has recently released a movie following up on the success of their superhero family sitcom that ran from 2014-2018, The Thundermans.
This new movie, entitled The Thundermans Return, had a live premiere on March 7 on Nickelodeon and was made available to stream on Paramount Plus.
All of the main cast returned and were featured in the movie, with star Kira Kosarin (Phoebe Thunderman) also serving as an executive producer. Director Trevor Kirschner was previously involved in the original TV show, too, having directed multiple episodes over the years.
The movie takes place three years after the series’ finale, and the Thundermans have spent those three years battling crime as a family. However, when a mission goes awry, they are stripped of their duties and sent back to Hiddenville – where they lived for the majority of the show. Their old town is full of characters and sets that fans are sure to enjoy seeing again.
Nostalgia also rings true when Billy and Nora, the middle children of the family, start attending the same high school that their older twin siblings Phoebe and Max attended in the original show. They struggle with making friends while Chloe, the youngest of the kids, tries to pave her own path against the wishes of protective parents Hank and Barb.
Phoebe and Max, on the other hand, are willing to do whatever it takes to get their old jobs of crime-fighting back even if the rest of the family doesn’t agree – and even if they themselves don’t always see eye-to-eye. After being trapped by unexpected villains, secrets come out and they must work together to free themselves.
These villains, however, have plans to create an entire supervillain army and can only be stopped by the whole Thundermans family coming together. Trust, communication, and a team spirit prove to be imperative for the success of the family, and the safety of everyone around them.
While I won’t spoil the ending, I will say that it sets the Thundermans up for the opportunity for more episodes or movies in the future.
Kosarin, who has been vocal about her love for the show and everything that comes with it, recently spoke about this possibility.
“In terms of [the] next generation, we don’t know what’ll happen. If this movie does well, we’ll do a sequel, we’ll do a spin-off with four more seasons, we’ll do a season five. I would love that,” Kosarin said in a recent interview on the Zach Sang Show podcast. “I’m hoping that this movie is now the start of another Thundermans chapter.”
Freshman Emily Myers is a Staff Writer. Her email is emyers3@fandm.edu.