Recently two new projects were announced in the Avengers: Endgame.
Currently, Jake Schreier is tapped as director with Eric Pearson as writer, and filming is already set to begin next summer, likely for release in late 2024. Whether Thunderbolts is part of Phase Four or Five, this film poses an interesting quandary in that it’s about a group of villainous characters. As such, they will have to carefully select the film’s antagonist, and some fans have already come up with ideas on Reddit.
The Leader
One of the best choices for the villain in Thunderbolts is already part of the MCU, but some people might’ve forgotten about him. The Incredible Hulk. This is the theory with the most backing from fans on Reddit, with several others suggesting the same.
The Leader is a long-time nemesis to Hulk, using his superior intelligence and telekinetic powers as a predominant supervillain. He likely would’ve shown up in a sequel if the first film hadn’t received such mixed reviews. However, they could finally talk advantage of seeds they sowed nearly fifteen years ago in Thunderbolts.
Red She-Hulk
Currently, Marc Ruffalo is not slated to appear in Thunderbolts, nor is Tatiana Maslany, who will debut as She-Hulk soon in Emil Blonsky AKA Abomination is a likely candidate for the team. As such, many fans are expecting that Thunderbolts could incorporate other characters from Hulk’s side of the franchise, for example, Betsy Ross, AKA Red She-Hulk.
She was played by Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk and as u/TRIMPKIN_KING writes, she “hasn't had any arc since 2008 so she's pretty much a clean slate in of where you can go with her character. She shares the Thunderbolt connection” with her father. This could make for an interesting method for bringing someone back from oblivion in the MCU and would be worthy of someone with a rich history in the comics.
Red Hulk
The unfortunate ing of William Hurt will likely have changed Thunderbolts’ story from its initial pitch. He was an actor of much renown and his tenure as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU is one of his most villainous. This could’ve seen him finally evolve into Red Hulk, perhaps becoming the antagonist along the way. However, while fans shouldn’t expect to see Ross again, Red Hulk isn’t out of the question.
U/LoveWaffle1 says “I think it could still be the Red Hulk, just not one who is a gamma-irradiated Thunderbolt Ross. Take any other hard-ass military guy and make him as the Red Hulk our main antagonist.” In the comics, there is, in fact, another Red Hulk besides Ross – General Robert Maverick could be used to fill this role in Thunderbolts.
Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Though the film’s announcement was exciting, it was largely expected based on the happenings of related stories like Black Widow. In both, Julia Louis-Dreyfus appears as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and she seems to be forming her own team. Many think this is the Thunderbolts, and that she will be acting as a dark foil to Nick Fury throughout the MCU.
However, in the comics, there are several iterations of the Thunderbolts, with one being led by Baron Zemo, so perhaps the same will be applied to Thunderbolts. u/Powersoutdotcom theorizes that “The Thunderbolts will be a team led by Zemo, going against a team led by Val with HER team of flunkies including Walker.” Two teams would allow for anti-heroes like Yelena Belova or John Walker to work opposite hardened villains like Zemo. Regardless, fans feel secure that the Contessa has a role to play in Thunderbolts.
Winter Guard
Like the Thunderbolts, several other popular and important teams have yet to the MCU officially, though some are closer to appearing than others, such as the Winter Guard. They are the Russian equivalent to the Avengers, composed of characters analogous to the American team – Crimson Dynamo to Iron Man; Ursa Major to Hulk; Perun to Thor; and Red Guardian to Captain America. Many will that David Harbour played the former in Black Widow.
u/pagingdrsolus think “this team would give the Thunderbolts a run for the money And all the cold war tension, covert ops history would lend itself to needing a morally grey of the books team to deal with it.” Perhaps the Thunderbolts come into conflict with them as part of a mission for the American government, which would make for an interesting predicament for Yelena Belova.
Red Skull & Hydra
Since Thunderbolts will be taking characters from all over the franchise, uniting rivals or adversaries from several important MCU heroes, it could also do the same for the main antagonist. While others suggest Hulk enemies, giving a great voiceover performance.
They theorize “Free from the curse of the Soul Stone, Red Skull has returned and brought along superior alien technology from his time in the stars. His goal: to finally finish what Hydra started in WW2.” This would certainly make for an interesting premise, but it might beg the question as to why Captain America and/or the Avengers aren’t dealing with it.
Squadron Supreme/Squadron Sinister
Like Winter Guard or HYDRA, several fans on Reddit suggest they go up against another team. That would allow for a more exhilarating final fight, as each member would be able to have a dedicated enemy rather than them all going up against a single opponent. U/esar24 says they “would love to see them go against squadron supreme”.
Squadron Supreme is the team of heroes literally based on the Justice League from DC comics, consisting of characters like Hyperion, Nighthawk, Power Princess, Whizzer, and Doctor Spectrum. At first, they went by Squadron Sinister and were villainous pastiches, but they were eventually reworked as heroes. Whether Supreme or Sinister, they could come into conflict with the Thunderbolts. Additionally, this choice might be a fun way to poke at the likely comparisons to Suicide Squad that Thunderbolts will face.
Count Nefaria
A trend among MCU fans is to want more, but not everything is Avengers: Endgame, and not every villain should be as catastrophic as Thanos. Thunderbolts could utilize a powerful and dangerous antagonist, but they do not need the stakes to be world-ending. They could find themselves going against the criminal underworld – perhaps drawn into conflict if they are trying to be overtly heroic – and thus Count Nefaria, the powerful and enhanced head of the Maggia.
Daredevil, so this could give them a more predominant role, with Count Nefaria and Madame Masque leading them against the Thunderbolts.
