Marvel's upcoming Thunderbolts* is set to release in 2025, bringing the first MCU villain team-up movie to life. Way before the official announcement, the concept of a Thunderbolts movie drew heavy speculation from long-time Marvel readers and viewers for years. During the MCU's Phase 4, audiences deduced one could be in the works thanks to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's sneaky recruitment activities throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. Sure enough, many Thunderbolts* cast members were confirmed at 2022's D23 Expo, including Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes.
It was later announced that Bucky and the Thunderbolts* would be joined by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, recast as Indiana Jones, and Han Solo himself, Harrison Ford. Ford's Ross will also appear in Captain America: New World Order prior to Thunderbolts*, and since the rest of the Thunderbolts* team is drawn from preexisting characters in the MCU timeline, there's a chance that more characters might show up from other shows and movies. Here's everything to know about Thunderbolts*, from the release date to the MCU Thunderbolts lineup and their comic-book origins.
Thunderbolts* Latest News
July 2024's San Diego Comic-Con saw a selection of interesting reveals about Thunderbolts*, including a Thunderbolts* teaser that shows what several members of the group have been up to since audiences last saw them, and how they come together to be a team of antiheroes. Red Guardian's new suit for the movie was revealed, and the cast discussed more about their perspectives on the film and their respective characters' stories within it.
Lewis Pullman also revealed more about his specific character in the movie, confirming his mysterious Thunderbolts* character is known as Bob. Given Sentry - who is popularity theorized to be the character Pullman is playing - has the full name of Robert Reynolds, this has added more fuel to the fire in terms of speculation that Sentry will appear in the movie, thus explaining why so few details have thus far emerged about the elusive figure the actor will play.
San Diego Comic-Con also revealed that members of the Thunderbolts* cast will also be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday. This makes Thunderbolts* all the more important with this context in mind, as its story will thus set up the next Avengers film in some capacity, even if just by furthering its characters' arcs. It also suggests the Thunderbolts* ending will tie into Avengers: Doomsday, with any new developments no doubt set to be followed up on.
The first official teaser trailer for Thunderbolts* was released online, along with the first poster for the film. It features the group of characters that have been confirmed to be in the movie with Lewis Pullman's first look as the more than likely character Sentry. It was an exciting trailer that teased what Thunderbolts* would be about without giving too much away, building up the anticipation for the film's release in 2025.
Thunderbolts* Movie Trailer
Thunderbolts* got an official teaser trailer released September 23, 2024, confirming its May 2025 release date. Set to the Pixies song "Where is My Mind?", the trailer showed the anti-hero / villain team, including the first look at Lewis Pullman as Bob (Sentry), a brand-new hero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The teaser hints at the story, confirming what was already known, but not revealing too much about what is truly going on behind-the-scenes.
A couple of things stand out in the trailer that should get fans excited about Thunderbolts*. Following the reveal of Lewis Pullman as Bob, the character is shown to be seemingly bulletproof, basically a confirmation that he will be playing Sentry. He should be by far the strongest character in the film, which the trailer hints at here, adding an entire new dynamic to the Thunderbolts as an eventual team.
The trailer also shows Valentina at some sort of gala or exhibit that features Loki's scepter, which has played a massive role throughout the MCU's history. It will be interesting to see if that will be significant in the film or just a nod to the wider universe. It also opens up the question about why Loki's scepter is on display in such a public setting and what exactly event Valentina is actually attending.
Yelena, Red Guardian, US Agent, and Bucky are the standouts throughout the trailer, though. They seem to be getting the most characterization, and the footage brings up new questions about what they have been up to since their last appearances in the MCU. As of right now, it definitely feels most closely connected to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Widow.
Thunderbolts* Movie Release Date
The Thunderbolts* movie announced its director, Jake Schreier, in 2022, and Black Widow's Eric Pearson was tapped to write the script. The movie was slated to begin shooting in June 2023, with the current Thunderbolts* official release date being May 2, 2025, placing it between Captain America: Brave New World releasing in February 2025, and The Fantastic Four's July 2025 debut.
This date has been moved more than once, with its previous release dates being July 26, 2024, December 20, 2024, July 25, 2025, and May 5, 2025, respectively. Thunderbolts* has gone back and forth in terms of its place in the release schedule, but the villain team-up movie is now set to end the MCU's Phase 5, placing it in an especially important position given Phase 6 will contain the permanently universe-changing likes of Avengers: Doomsday and The Fantastic Four.
Thunderbolts* Movie Cast
The official cast of Thunderbolts* was announced at 2022's D23 Expo, and is stacked with recognizable faces that leave little room for more surprise returns. The Thunderbolts* MCU lineup includes Contessa Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who appears to be stepping into the role of Thunderbolts* leader. Joining her are Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and, of course, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes.
The 2023 announcements of Ayo Edebiri and Steven Yeun's additions to the cast also saw more recent change, as in February 2024 it was revealed that both actors would be leaving the cast, with Ayo Edebiri being replaced in her undisclosed role by Geraldine Viswanathan, who was seen in the teaser trailer, and Yeun's reported role as Sentry instead being played by Lewis Pullman.
The 2024 San Diego Comic-Con furthered the idea that Lewis Pullman will be playing Sentry by including the reveal that his character is known as "Bob". With Sentry's full name being Robert Reynolds, it stands to reason that Bob is Reynolds' nickname, and a name the MCU may have chosen to make the Thunderbolts' potentially most lethal member sound more of a regular unassuming figure before the big reveal. There's also still speculation that Tim Roth's Abomination could join the team after his She-Hulk: Attorney At Law jailbreak.
Thunderbolts* Movie Story
At the moment, plot details for Thunderbolts* aren't well known save for the teaser trailer. However, there are plenty of directions the MCU could go with the Thunderbolts*, especially since its team has been a part of so many different stories and arcs in the franchise. With most of the characters already established, the movie can avoid any origin stories. Also, most of the Thunderbolt members in the movie are already far more sympathetic than their comic book counterparts, suggesting the movie will avoid depicting them as villains at first and simply make them anti-heroes.
The footage revealed at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, and also the teaser trailer, supports the idea that the team will be brought together by Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. It also sheds light on the individual storylines of many of the characters in question, with Yelena seeking out Alexei for possibly the first time since the events of Black Widow, Bucky being seen in congress, and US Agent being shown with a child at home.
It's also worth noting that the preview teaser features a fight sequence between some of the heroes seemingly before they become a group. The fact the footage also shows the characters fighting underlines the idea that the team will very much be at odds at the start of Thunderbolts* - something in line with its roster, since it's unlikely figures like Yelena and US Agent would immediately see eye to eye from their first encounter.
This works to either set the stage for the team to come together over the course of the film like in The Avengers, or potentially justifies the group working less than efficiently against whatever opponent they're placed up against in the story. Taking this approach would make particular sense if Pullman's character is indeed Sentry, as his immense powers would otherwise make most threats trivial without adding complications to how he can use his abilities - and having conflict with his own team could certainly make that more tricky.
What they could face is unclear, but it would not be a surprise to see the story of the Thunderbolts* movie set up in a Disney+ show or two, though nothing about that has been announced yet. Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Department Andy Park also suggested the movie has strong ties to Black Widow. This isn't a big surprise as the involvement of Yelena, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster makes it clear that a lot of those storylines will be carried over. It could mean that the movie also pays homage to one of the MCU's original anti-heroes, Natasha Romanoff.
Who Are Marvel's Thunderbolts? The MCU Team Explained
In the comics, the first Thunderbolts are a group of reformed villains. The original team was started by Baron Zemo after the Avengers were killed, aiming to replace the Avengers and gain the trust of the public in another world domination plan. This is why, even though Daniel Brühl's Zemo is yet to be included in the movie's cast, many still expect Baron Zemo in Thunderbolts*. Unknown to the rest of the world, this new team of "reformed" villains, the Thunderbolts, were actually Zemo's Masters of Evil in disguise. However, this version of the Thunderbolts actually start to enjoy being seen as heroes and doing good, so they end up overthrowing Zemo as their leader.
Throughout Marvel Comics' history, the Thunderbolts' lineup and leadership have changed significantly. The Thunderbolts name has been attached to multiple iterations, with various members leaving and joining the team. This includes Harrison Ford's MCU character General "Thunderbolt" Ross, who led a version of the team as the Red Hulk. Across the many Thunderbolts lineups, one factor has remained consistent, however: the Thunderbolts are morally grayer than the Avengers.
Many casual viewers online have already noted the similarities. Both teams count villains in their lineup, after all. However, despite the on-paper idiosyncrasies between Thunderbolts' and the Suicide Squad, they're by no means the same. Marvel's Thunderbolts will be very different from the Warner Bros/DC team it's already drawn comparison to. Viewers unfamiliar with the Thunderbolts* comics are off the mark to dismiss this Marvel project as a simple Disney-fied Suicide Squad, and not just because Marvel's antihero team doesn't have explosive chips in their necks or an R rating.
Is Harrison Ford Playing Red Hulk In The MCU's Thunderbolts*?
Harrison Ford replaced the beloved William Hurt as Marvel Studios' "Thunderbolt" Ross, which means he could become the MCU's Red Hulk for Thunderbolts* following his role in Captain America: Brave New World. In the comics, Ross' obsession with defeating the Hulk led him to team up with some of the most dangerous criminal minds in the Marvel Universe on multiple occasions, including during World War Hulk. Composed of Ross, MODOK, the Leader, and Doc Samson, this World War Hulk villain team called themselves Intelligencia.
Like the more humorous and much sadder version of Intelligencia in She-Hulk, Ross and his allies used various techniques to siphon energy from the Hulk, which they used to transform Ross into Red Hulk. Later, after the Phoenix War, Ross led an iteration of the Thunderbolts composed of Venom, Punisher, Elektra, Ghost Rider, Mercy, the Leader, and Deadpool (who will be played by Ryan Reynolds in the MCU in Deadpool 3). Since Captain America: Brave New World confirms Ross will become the Red Hulk shortly, his later appearance in Thunderbolts* in this form would make a lot of sense.
What Could The Asterisk Mean In Thunderbolts* Title?
After the new Thunderbolts* title was spotted on set with the strange asterisk, the new title was confirmed to be accurate but hasn't been expanded upon. Kevin Feige himself chimed in on Thunderbolts*, clarifying that the asterisk is indeed intentional, but Marvel will not be clarifying the meaning until the movie is out. While not particularly descriptive, this did allay theories that the asterisk meant Thunderbolts was only a placeholder and the movie would get a new name entirely before release.
The dominant theory is that the asterisk will be a reference to an in-movie event. Given the team resembles some Avengers groups, one idea claims that the team will be mistaken for Marvel's marquee team by civilians and will constantly have to correct people that they're the Thunderbolts, not the Avengers. Another idea is that the asterisk references footnotes and hidden conditions in marketing. It's possible that being on the Thunderbolts comes with big risks and conditions which will come up in the film. Regardless, it doesn't appear any specifics will be clarified until Thunderbolts* hits theaters in 2025.
