Marvel Studios is introducing a new team debuting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with many familiar faces, new characters, and a questionable mystery for the movie titled Thunderbolt* with the asterisk symbol at the end. Thunderbolts was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, started filming in early 2024, and wrapped later in June. Thunderbolts will be directed by Jake Schreier who is well known for directing ‘Robot & Frank, Paper Towns, and episodes of Netflix’s ‘Beef. Scarlett Johansson will return to the MCU as the movie’s executive producer along with Brian Chapek, Matthew Jenkins, and Kevin Feige. This movie will serve as a Marvel version of DC’s Suicide Squad depending on what is different from DC Comics’s well-known team and how they will be brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the comics the Thunderbolts were founded and led by Captain America’s enemy Baron Zemo brought in members of the Master of Evil to attack the Avengers. Soon a powerful villain ‘Onslaught killed the Avengers, the Fantastic Four. Zemo soon realizes that the world needs heroes and decides part ways from being villains, to change sides to become heroes and call themselves the Thunderbolts. Later in a new adaption Spider-Man’s nemesis Norman Osborn who became a hero known as the Iron Patriot, became the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., then later recruited many of the heroes’ arch enemies to fill in as heroes. In the MCU, Zemo did not find or is going to make an appearance in Thunderbolts* and there’s no Norman Osborn in MCU’s Earth 616. This movie differs as many characters who appeared in the previous movies/Disney Plus series are brought together to be killed and are on an adventure together to learn who is trying to kill the Thunderbolts.
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Sentry will be making his live-action debut in the MCU. Originally the role was set to be played by Walking Dead and Invincible star Steven Yeun then later left the role due to scheduling conflicts and delays from the WGA and SAG-AFTA Strike in 2023. It was announced later that Lewis Pullman the son of Bill Pullman will be taking over the role of Sentry. It’s shown in the trailer that Sentry is been living in a facility and was brought together with the rest of the Thunderbolts to be killed. It looks like Bob won’t be tagging along with the Thunderbolts. Scenes throughout the trailer show Sentry’s Emblem, blueprints of his Tower from the comics, and the hairstyle that Sentry should have as he becomes a superhero. Now that the Avengers have been disbanded and many new superheroes are debuting. It would appear that Sentry is a funded project to create a new superhero for the world in control by of Valentina Allegra De Fontaine or what organization she’s a part of in Thunderbolts*.
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Valentina Allegra De Fontaine played by Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfuss first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to recruit John Walker, later in Black Widow giving a mission to Yelena Belova, and in Black Panther Wakanda Forever arresting her ex-husband Everett Ross keeping secrets for Wakanda. In the comics Valentina was a secret agent for the Russians to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., later became the new Madame Hydra. In the MCU, Valentina divulges from the comics, it is seen clearly that De Fontaine is working in a mysterious organization as she recruits enhanced individuals, she serves as a US Government operative and then later becomes director of the CIA. Nothing can confirm yet if she served for Hydra in the past, what are her plans with the Thunderbolts or aiding Sentry to become a powerful superhero for the world.
To recap each member of the Thunderbolts, Bucky Barnes faced his past to have closure for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier under Hydra then successfully stopped the terrorist group the Flag Smashers and accepted Sam Wilson as he became the new Captain America. Yelena Belova is brought back in the blip mourning as she learns about the death of her sister Nathasha Romanoff then misguided on a mission to kill Clint Barton to learn more of Nathasha’s death. Alexie Shostakov aka the Red Guardian yearns to be on missions, to be a hero for his country and aided both Natasha and Yelena in defeating the Red Room and ending the Black Widow program. John Walker became the next Captain America then later demoted after killing a terrorist in front of the whole world. Aided Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to stop the Flag Smashers’ attempt to kill the Global Repatriation Council then later recruited and took on the name U.S. Agent. Ava Starr aka Ghost is angst to have a cure after being exposed to quantum energy, having abilities like a ghost, being experimented on, and taking assassination missions. Ava receives help from Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, Hope, and Scott Lang to help control her abilities from killing her. Later Hank, Janet, and Hope were snapped away from existence and Scott was stuck in the quantum realm, Ava was not able to get help and was not heard or seen since the events in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Dreykov leader of the Red Room his daughter Antonia, while an assassination attempt on Dreykov by Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, his daughter Antonia suffered as Romanoff and Barton accidently injured her. She was forced by her father to be part of the Black Widow program, experimented on, copying many moves of all superheroes as an assassin called Taskmaster, and was later freed from the Black Widow program implanted in her mind.
This is a different type of team that Marvel Studios never brought before on the big screens or Disney Plus series. It’s believed that the asterisk on the title the name Thunderbolts will be given a different name for this team towards the end, fans think that they will be renamed as the Dark Avengers. Now 2025 is near many projects are on the way Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, Thunderbolts, Iron Heart, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and maybe Blade if the movie will start production soon pending if not it may be delayed. The question is who are you excited to see reprise their roles in the upcoming movie, would anyone like to see this team come together again in future projects, and will Sentry reprise after Thunderbolts and join the Avengers and become his dark evil half ‘Void?
