Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is coming to theaters in 2024 to cap off MCU Phase 5, posing a lot of questions about the titular team's past and future in the franchise. As announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU comprise the Multiverse Saga, with a Thunderbolts movie closing out Phase 5. Given the setup of a potential Thunderbolts team throughout MCU Phase 4, and even earlier in some cases, it makes sense that Marvel Studios are planning to bring a team together outside of the Avengers.
In the comics, the Thunderbolts are an antihero team that has consisted of many different over the years. As the MCU hasn't particularly delved into the world of antiheroes, the Thunderbolts movie ending MCU Phase 5 offers a new, interesting story for Marvel Studios to tell by focusing on more morally gray characters than they have in the past. By positioning these types of characters as the "heroes" of the film, Marvel has an opportunity to explore characters who are much more complex, both emotionally and physically, not unlike DC's The Suicide Squad.
However, with MCU Phase 6 announced to culminate in two movies and TV shows in MCU Phase 6, the questions are endless. That being said, here are some answers and educated predictions for everything that anyone looking forward to the Thunderbolts movie may need to know about the titular team of antiheroes.
What Does The MCU Thunderbolts Team Look Like Now?
The first question to address is simply which will be on the Thunderbolts team as of the MCU right now, not factoring in who may be introduced in the rest of Phase 4 and Phase 5. MCU Phase 4 laid a lot of the groundwork for in the Thunderbolts movie, though some of the likely of the team were even introduced as early as Phase 1. Here is a run-through of all the potential Thunderbolts team from the comics the MCU has introduced up to this point.
The earliest MCU debut of one of these potential belongs to Abomination, a.k.a. Emil Blonsky. As portrayed by Tim Roth, Blonsky was introduced way back in 2008 as the primary antagonist of Abomination's appearance in She-Hulk only helps this, with the character surely being set up to be part of the Thunderbolts movie roster, especially given the character's appearance on the comics team at certain points.
The next potential MCU member of the Thunderbolts to be introduced chronologically came in 2018's makes Ghost a Thunderbolts frontrunner. Like Abomination, Ghost's comic counterpart has been part of the team at varying points, meaning her appearance in the MCU's team is likely.
Moving into MCUPhase 4, Taskmaster fits the MCU antihero bill and has a history with Yelena. Like the other , Taskmaster was part of the team in the comics and would be able to have a more fleshed-out, complex story in the Thunderbolts movie.
The last two to be set up for the Thunderbolts in MCU Phase 4 came in masked Zemo wound up helping Sam and Bucky. Again, like the other potential Thunderbolts movie , this portrays Zemo as an antihero, someone whose morality will shift from good to bad depending on his own gain. Given Zemo's hip and even leadership of the Thunderbolts in the comics at different points, he would fit right into the MCU's version.
The other member introduced in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, who also certainly fits this description, is John Walker/US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell. John Walker was one of the antagonists of the show until he eventually helped Sam and Bucky defeat the Flag Smashers. Like Zemo, Walker's moral com is a bit skewed, with the character doing both morally right and wrong things throughout the season. This, alongside US Agent's Thunderbolts history in the comics, makes him an ideal candidate for the Thunderbolts movie, solidifying John Walker's MCU future.
Which New Characters Could The Thunderbolts?
While a lot of potential Thunderbolts have been set up in the MCU thus far, Kevin Feige's comments in Hall H at SDCC 2022 led many to believe that some are yet to be introduced. Naturally, this has led to endless speculation on which characters could be introduced throughout the remainder of Phase 4 and in Phase 5 to be part of the Thunderbolts movie. There are a few options among Marvel antiheroes, based on comic history and future MCU projects, who could be introduced in the coming years in time for the film's 2024 release.
Two of these potential characters stem from Marvel's Netflix universe, meaning they may not actually be all that "new." While the Daredevil: Born Again, after both his and Wilson Fisk's appearances in MCU Phase 4 properties. With two major Netflix characters reentering the MCU in big ways, the door is open for characters such as the Punisher and Luke Cage to also return, and both have been of the Thunderbolts in the comics. Should Marvel Studios opt to bring back previous of Netflix's universe, the Thunderbolts movie would be an excellent project to continue these characters' MCU stories.
Another character who could be part of Thunderbolts, whose introduction to the MCU is already confirmed albeit without a release date, is Deadpool 3, which would likely come after Thunderbolts in MCU Phase 6.
Who Is Behind The Thunderbolts In The MCU?
While it is important to talk about the of the Thunderbolts movie team, the mind behind them is arguably more important. While MCU Phase 4 certainly fleshed out the team's roster more, it also brought the mastermind behind the Thunderbolts into the fold. That person is none other than Marvel Comics character Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Initially, de Fontaine was introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, hiring John Walker for an unknown purpose and redubbing him as US Agent. The character next appeared in the post-credits scene of Black Widow, giving Yelena Belova the mission to assassinate Clint Barton. This provides de Fontaine with two links to potential of the Thunderbolts, seemingly having the power over them to hire them for jobs.
While Valentina could simply be the mind behind the team in the Thunderbolts movie, a few of her comments in the MCU hint that she could be working for someone else. If Avengers: Secret Wars. Regardless, the nature of the Thunderbolts and their employers will likely be explored in the 2024 film.
Will The Thunderbolts Be Part Of Avengers 5 & 6?
If Kang or Doctor Doom are retroactively revealed to be the leader of the team in the Thunderbolts movie, that would open the door for the team to be part of both Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. While not a lot is revealed about the next two Avengers movies coming in 2025, the fact that they will end the Multiverse Saga means that every separate facet of the MCU will likely be affected by the events of the films. If this is the case, it is likely the Thunderbolts will be involved in some capacity.
Also, some of the links between potential Thunderbolts and New Avengers mean this would make sense: John Walker and Zemo with Captain America; Abomination with the Hulk, She-Hulk, and Wong; Ghost with Ant-Man; and Yelena with Hawkeye. With D23 just around the corner in September 2022, Marvel Studios could give more insight into how Thunderbolts will play into the overall plans of the Multiverse Saga, including the team's potential appearance in Secret Wars.
Who Will Be The Leader Of The Thunderbolts Team?
While Contessa Valentina is certainly the Nick Fury-esque figure bringing the team together for the Thunderbolts movie, it is worth discussing who will lead the team in battle. In the MCU, each team usually has a leader figure. The Avengers team, for example, was led by Steve Rogers' Captain America since their induction in 2012 before his retirement following Avengers: Endgame while the Guardians of the Galaxy are led by Peter Quill. Naturally then, the Thunderbolts will likely have a leader.
The potential MCU serve up a few candidates, given some of their comic counterparts' leadership of the team. One frontrunner is Zemo, who has led the team in two different comic iterations. Also, US Agent has led the team at one point, as has Taskmaster. Should Luke Cage from Netflix's Marvel universe return to the MCU and the team, he would offer another leadership option given his role as the head of the Thunderbolts in the Heroic Age run of Marvel Comics. It is safe to say that many of the potential of the MCU's Thunderbolts movie could lead the team, and any prediction of the sort could come true. However, the answer is unlikely to be revealed until the film releases, unless Marvel Studios unveils more information about the antihero team before it hits theaters in July 2024.
