The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get access to the one franchise that every Marvel fan wants to see: the X-Men. They were once Marvel’s most popular property, selling millions of comics, starring in animated series, and helming big-budget movies that grabbed fans’ imaginations and showed what Marvel could be on the big screen. There are hundreds of great heroes and villains on the X-Men side of the Marvel Universe, and many of Marvel’s best stories have had the name “X-Men” on the cover. The X-Men have all the potential in the world in the MCU, and the franchise could bring the team back to the top of the superhero charts.

Obviously the MCU doesn’t straight-up adapt comic stories, but instead uses them for inspiration. The X-Men have over 60 years of amazing stories that can inspire modern MCU content, and supply fans with what that they want from Marvel Studios.

These five X-Men stories would make the best MCU movies, showing off the flavor of the X-Men comics to a wider audience.

X-Men (1963) #1

One of the biggest questions about the X-Men is how the MCU is going to approach the team. Will they start out with more popular characters like Wolverine and Storm, like Fox did, or will they start at the beginning? An argument can made that they should start at the beginning, and that means taking inspiration from the team’s first appearance, X-Men #1 from 1963, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

This story introduced the world to Charles Xavier and his X-Men, and started the saga of Magneto. It sees the X-Men trying to stop Magneto’s attack on Cape Citadel, and is the perfect way to introduce the heroes and villains of the series. Magneto’s disposition in the MCU is another big question, and using this story first would answer that question, giving the MCU time to develop Magneto in whatever way they want. It’s a great starting place that can be easily modernized and serve as a perfect re-introduction to the X-Men.

X-Men (1991) #1-3

X-Men (1991) #1 is the bestselling comic of all time, and kicks off a three-issue story, by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, that resets the relationship between Magneto and the X-Men for an entirely new generation of fans. A group of mutants is chased to Magneto’s Asteroid M by S.H.I.E.L.D., which draws Magneto back into the conflict between mutants and heroes. The X-Men spring into action, with the group’s Blue Team battling Magneto’s Acolytes and Magneto himself, leading to an X-Men versus X-Men battle and a surprising end for Magneto.

This is another story that does an amazing job of setting out the relationship between Magneto and the X-Men, and is full of amazing action-packed scenes. If the MCU wants to start with the X-Men already extant, this is the perfect tale to begin with. On top of that, the X-Men Blue Team has some of the most popular mutants of all time — Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, and Gambit — giving moviegoers a fan-favorite team to root for in the battle against Magneto. It’s a win-win.

God Loves, Man Kills

God Loves, Man Kills, by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson, is one of the most important comic stories of all time. It introduces readers to Reverend Stryker and the Purifiers, a group of religious bigots who start killing young mutants. This spurs the X-Men into the action, where they are joined by an unforeseen ally — Magneto. It’s a monumental story, using the underlying themes of the X-Men to take a look at bigotry in society and the problems with organized religion.

The MCU isn’t exactly known for its depth. The franchise’s superheroes are quippy and sarcastic and the stories are light, breezy action-comedies. This has been a major stumbling block for the MCU and God Loves, Man Kills is the way to change that. Superheroes like the X-Men are perfect for social commentary and the MCU needs to go in this deeper direction. God Loves, Man Kills, if done right, could change the way everyone looks at the MCU forever and use the X-Men in the exact way they should be used.

“The Brood Saga”

“The Brood Saga”, by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, is a classic X-Men story that showed just how versatile the team could be. The X-Men are called for help by their allies in the Shi’Ar Empire for help against a new alien threat — the Brood. Based on the xenomorphs from the Alien franchise (years before Marvel’s parent company Disney bought it), the X-Men are tested to their limits by this savage race, and one member in particular has to dig deep to save the day.

“The Brood Saga” is another example of a story that would take the MCU out of its comfort zone, which is exactly why it should get adapted. Superhero horror is an important part of comic history, and “The Brood Saga” is one of the best examples of it from Marvel. The MCU needs to broaden its horizons, and “The Brood Saga” is exactly the kind of story that could do so. While the MCU may not be able to pull off the more serious X-Men stories, it can easily pull off “The Brood Saga”.

“E is for Extinction”

“E is for Extinction” stands tall among the best X-Men stories of all time. The story relaunched X-Men as New X-Men, courtesy of the revolutionary creative team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. The story sets up a new, more mutant-centric direction for the team, with the X-Men eschewing traditional superhero activities to become mutant teachers and rescue workers. However, a new threat rears its ugly head, Cassandra Nova, who wants to destroy everything her brother Professor X loves.

“E is for Extinction” is a great place to start with the X-Men. Sure, it doesn’t have the traditional superhero costumes, but it serves to set up everything else about the team. Cassandra Nova is already known to MCU fans, which is a good thing; the story features Wolverine, which is another feather in its cap – and it’s just a casually brilliant story. Going in this direction would allow the MCU to set up the school status quo, and have a great roster of X-Men, including Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Beast while also introducing Emma Frost to the team. And, hey, if Marvel wants the X-Men in their more traditional costumes for the movie, that’s an easy tweak. New X-Men is the best reboot of a Marvel franchise in the last twenty-five years and would make for an excellent MCU reboot movie.

X-Men films and MCU films are streaming on Disney+.

The post 5 X-Men Stories the MCU Should Adapt appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’re less than two months away from Thunderbolts* landing in theaters to close out Phase Five of the MCU and introduce the antihero team that has been teased for years at this point. The film is set to be a sequel to Black Widow, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and a few other properties due to the involvement of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. She’s the Nick Fury for this team, showing up to add other names to the fold and invite them into the organization. Plenty of questions are still lingering shortly ahead of the film’s premiere, including the nature of Sentry in his MCU debut. But we’re hopeful the movie will help solve and close the book on another lingering issue we’ve had since the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Fans are now well aware that de Fontaine is the latest owner of the Avenger’s former home in Stark Tower. What still lingers are questions surrounding how and why the building ended up in the hands of the shadowy power player.

Battle of New York

The building was introduced in The Avengers. It was originally known as Stark Tower, until after the invasion of Manhattan, when it was made the headquarters for the Avengers through the end of Age of Ultron, with the building being torn to shreds by the end of both films.

Before Infinity War and Endgame, the building had been mentioned in connection to the team’s move to a Stark warehouse in Upstate New York, as seen at the end of Age of Ultron. Before the team takes on Thanos, the tower is mentioned one final time during Spider-Man: Homecoming when Vulture (Michael Keaton) attempts to steal several weapons and Stark tech. The building avoids most of the action this time around, but it does give us a firm timeline for when the building was still in Tony Stark’s control and that it was on the way to being sold.

[RELATED – How Thunderbolts* Can Turn the MCU Around After Captain America: Brave New World]

So, the question that lingers for Thunderbolts* is an explanation about how the building landed under the control of de Fontaine. We’re also curious if this is going to be an official change or if the building will fall victim to Sentry in the new film. It does seem like there are quite a few pieces of a building strewn about the New York streets in the trailer.

After the Endgame

What we do know is that by the events of Hawkeye, Stark has sold the building to a mystery buyer. It’s not clear if Stark himself did the sale or if it was after his heroic demise in the Battle of Earth against Thanos. We do know there were plenty of running theories, including the introduction of Oscorp to the MCU and that Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin bought it upon his return shown in Daredevil: Born Again. These turned out to be false.

The building also got a bit of a makeover in Spider-Man: Far From Home, hinting that the sale came closer to Stark’s death than Hawkeye would indicate. By the time of Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, de Fontaine had taken over the building and renamed it “The Watchtower.”

“We know what that tower means,” Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier told Empire. “Who’s the person you would least like to own that tower, that means so much to so many people? Can you use that as a symbol of things taking a darker turn?”

The CIA owning the former home of the Avengers is certainly a scary prospect in the real world. It’s a little more concerning in the MCU when the unstable Sentry is brought to the building to reveal his power. It could be a short run for The Watchtower if what is hinted at by the trailers happens. We’ll see how that plays out once Thunderbolts* lands in theaters on May 2nd.

Do you have a theory on what happens to the former Avengers tower once the Thunderbolts move in? Let us know in the comments.

The post Marvel’s Thunderbolts Needs to Answer This Avengers Question appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“What are they, some kind of Suicide Squad?” is what one might have asked about Marvel’s Thunderbolts* movie. There’s a misfit team of redemption-seeking villains and anti-hero types (Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova/Black Widow and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier among them) who are assembled by a shadowy government figure with ulterior and underhanded motives (Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) in the absence of the cinematic universe’s premiere superhero team (the Avengers) to face a super-powered villain that these under-powered recruits don’t have a hope of defeating (Lewis Pullman’s Sentry/Void), all set to classic needle drops (Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”).

David Ayer-directed DC movie Suicide Squad also had a misfit team of B-list baddies and redemption-seeking villains (like Will Smith’s Deadshot and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn) who were brought together by a government agent (Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller) after the death of Superman. With no Justice League to call, Waller formed Task Force X, a team of expendable prisoners, to stop a world-ending threat (Cara Delevingne’s Enchantress), all set to classic needle drops (Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”).

RELATED: Who Are the Thunderbolts* in the MCU? Explaining the Misfit Marvel Team

“I think people are expecting another version of Suicide Squad, but the story felt different,” Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier says in the latest issue of Empire Magazine. “There was a flip of what people expected it to be.”

Stan, meanwhile, has likened Thunderbolts* to John Hughes’ seminal ’80s classic The Breakfast Club.

“I think this movie is very singular and will stand on its own,” Stan recently told ET. “I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to, it’s its own thing. I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.”

While Warner Bros. marketed 2016’s Suicide Squad as a Guardians of the Galaxy-style comic book adaptation, Disney’s Marvel Studios has highlighted the indie talent behind Thunderbolts* in the “Absolute Cinema” trailer that drew a viral reaction from indie studio A24 on social media.

Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh (Midsommar) as Yelena Belova/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan (A Different Man) as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Olga Kurylenko (Extraction II) as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen (Ready Player One) as Ava Starr/Ghost, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (You Hurt My Feelings) as Val. The cast also includes MCU newcomers Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Geraldine Viswanathan (You’re Cordially Invited), Chris Bauer (Heels) and Wendell Pierce (Superman).

Schreier (Paper Towns, Beef) directs from a script by Eric Pearson (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Lee Sung Jin & Joanna Calo (Beef). The editors are Harry Yoon (Minari) and Angela M. Catanzaro (Prey); the cinematographer is Andrew Droz Palermo (The Green Knight), with music by Son Lux (Paper Towns, Everything Everywhere All at Once). Kevin Feige (Deadpool & Wolverine) is producing, with Louis D’Esposito (Captain America: Brave New World), Brian Chapek (Black Widow), and Jason Tamez (Loki) serving as executive producers.

The synopsis: “After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?”

Marvel’s Thunderbolts strikes theaters on May 2.

The post How Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Is Different From DC’s Suicide Squad appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new Thunderbolts team has assembled at Marvel, and it is one of the most unlikeliest team lineups yet. Marvel’s lethal super team has experienced a host of lineup shakeups over the years, but writer Sam Humphries (Uncanny X-Force, Green Lanterns) and artist Ton Lima (West Coast Avengers, Werewolf By Night) have put together a truly deadly team that features powerhouses like The Hulk and Carnage right alongside each other, as well as a surprising X-Men favorite, and you can check out the new covers and all the details for New Thunderbolts #1 below.

The new Thunderbolts squad becomes a necessity after Winter Soldier and Black Widow discover a major threat, but they might have added too much chaos along with all the firepower. Led by Winter Soldier and Black Widow, the rest of the lineup includes Carnage (Eddie Brock), The Hulk, Namor, Wolverine (Laura), and Clea, giving the team a mix of brute power, magical expertise, and edge that should be a match for just about anyone, even demented duplicates of The Illuminati.

“I love every iteration of Thunderbolts,” Humphries said. “I’m thrilled to continue the franchise’s proud tradition of hard hitting action, powder keg personalities, and explosive surprises into a new era. This is a gang of seven of the biggest badasses and loose cannons from different corners of the Marvel Universe. Assembling a super team is like inviting the right combination of guests to a dinner party. So I imagined a dangerous, disastrous, unhinged Marvel dinner party, and went with that.”

“I’m having a blast working on this book with Mr. Humphries and the team,” Lima shared. “Look at this lineup… it’s crazy. They’re not here to talk; they jump straight to the action! And that’s the most fun part to draw. None of them are known for taking it easy on the job, so I can’t either.”

[RELATED: Namor Has Finally Become the Leader the Oceans Deserve (Review)]

“Ton is stepping up to the plate with blockbuster artwork that really does justice to the big characters on the team,” Humphries added. You can find the official description for Thunderbolts below.

“THE WINTER SOLDIER. BLACK WIDOW. EDDIE BROCK: CARNAGE. THE HULK. NAMOR. CLEA. WOLVERINE. They’re the most dangerous loners and antiheroes in the Marvel Universe. Nothing could make them work together…but Bucky Barnes and the Black Widow are going to give it a shot. Demented duplicates of the Illuminati are threatening the world, and if they figure out how to work together, they’ll be as unstoppable as the originals. Bucky and Natasha need allies who will do anything to take the duplicates out – but wrangling a team of killers and monsters presents its own dangers. Welcome to the New Thunderbolts* – hope you survive the experience!”

You can find the main cover from Stephen Segovia and the variant cover by Mark Bagley below. New Thunderbolts #1 hits comic stores on June 11th.

What do think of the new Thunderbolts lineup? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Marvel’s New Thunderbolts Includes Hulk, Carnage, and Surprising X-Men Heroes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Thunderbolts* is highly anticipated for a number of reasons, including the fact that it will introduce key characters to the universe. One such character is Bob, aka The Sentry, who is one of the most powerful Marvel characters in the comics. Not only is Sentry heading to the MCU, but another key Sentry element also seems to be making its debut too, truly heralding the introduction of both Sentry and his villainous side The Void, and that is The Watchtower. The Watchtower is the new name for Avengers Tower, and that indicates that we are getting The Sentry’s epic headquarters too. If you’re not familiar, here’s the rundown.

First, let’s dive into what Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier told Empire about the tower being renamed The Watchtower. “We know what that tower means. Schreier said Empire. “Who’s the person you would least like to own that tower, that means so much to so many people? Can you use that as a symbol of things taking a darker turn?”

Schreier is referring to the new owner of the tower Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who also happens to be the one who has brought together the new Thunderbolts team. Val has been recruiting for quite some time, and we know from the trailers that The Sentry is part of her vision for the team in some way.

That tower, which used to stand for The Avengers, has sat unoccupied for a while, and now Val has taken over. That also has greater meaning in terms of The Sentry, as in the comics he is struggling to regain his memories and come to terms with who is truly in control, Robert, Sentry, or Void. After a bit of a breakthrough in that regard, Sentry is recruited by the Avengers, and that leads to his headquarters reappearing.

[RELATED: Thunderbolts* Star Lewis Pullman Teases “Bob” Getting a Real Marvel Costume (Exclusive)]

That would be a big enough shake-up, but his headquarters, which is called the Watchtower, appears on top of Stark Tower. The almost alien-looking structure, which is mostly black aside from the golden central tower, had originally been built in that spot, but vanished from the world’s view alongside any trace of the Sentry. Now it’s all back, and it will certainly be interesting to see the Watchtower sitting atop Avengers Tower moving forward.

It will be interesting to see what angle the MCU takes with The Sentry. In the trailers we’ve already seen footage that hints at Sentry’s transformation into The Void, and while Sentry does gain greater control over The Void in the comics, it’s a constant struggle. When the new Avengers team finally assembles, will Sentry be a part of it like in New Avengers, or is he The Void fully by the end of the movie and an Avengers-level antagonist moving forward?

All good questions and all ones that won’t be answered for a while, but we will get some answers in Thunderbolts*. Let us know what you would like to see from the MCU Sentry in the comments, and you can talk all things Marvel and comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Avengers Tower’s New MCU Name Teases the Arrival of a Major Marvel Character and Landmark appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Thunderbolts* is one of the most anticipated Marvel movies of the year, though it could be described as one of the most anticipated movies overall of the year as well. The trailers so far have been stellar, and today Marvel released a brand new trailer that could be described as the weirdest one yet. Letterboxd revealed a new trailer that showcased the entire team and also leaned into the tension, mystery, and oddball moments throughout, and you can watch the new trailer in the post below.

The trailer starts out with Yelena saying “There’s something wrong” and then the pace and the track pick up speed considerably. We get some new footage, including the team in the car (with a very tired Yelena in the passenger seat), a confrontation with what appears to be two Yelenas (with one probably being The Void), and a showdown with The Sentry, aka Bob.

We then get a quick moment of footage for each of the main characters, including a hilarious Bucky moment where he’s just eating in the kitchen. Bucky also takes on a person in a chicken costume at one point, and we see Ghost next to a Red Guardian who is losing his mind at whatever he was just told.

While we still have a host of questions about the film, we do have an understanding of the overall vibe and tone of the film, and Sebastian Stan gave fans an even better vision of it in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. Stan was speaking about what makes Thunderbolts* stand out from other Marvel team-ups, and he compared the film to an 80s classic.

[RELATED: SDCC 2024: David Harbour Says Thunderbolts* “Fundamentally Changes” the Marvel Cinematic Universe]

“I think this movie is very singular and will stand on its own,” Stan said. “I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to, it’s its own thing. I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.”

Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2nd, 2025.

What did you think of the new Thunderbolts* trailer? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Marvel with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post New Thunderbolts* Trailer Is the Weirdest One Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Avengers Tower is under new management in Thunderbolts*, and with that comes a change to the building’s name. Fans had been wondering about the ownership of Avengers Tower until it was confirmed that Thunderbolts boss Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) bought it. Avengers Tower has shown up in various trailers and TV spots for Thunderbolts*, but an added surprise is the news that Valentina has changed Avengers Tower’s name. What makes it all the more interesting is the name isn’t what most fans would have expected, but it’s an appropriate title given the circumstances.

Empire spoke to Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier, who revealed that Avengers Tower is now called the “Watchtower.” “We know what that tower means,” Schreier teased. “Who’s the person you would least like to own that tower, that means so much to so many people? Can you use that as a symbol of things taking a darker turn?”

The former Avengers Tower is at least keeping the “tower” in its new name, though there will be questions as to why Valentina went with Watchtower. Fans of the comics will know that the Watchtower was the name of the Sentry’s base, and Lewis Pullman is set to play the complicated character in Thunderbolts*. So is Val already aware of Sentry and chooses the Watchtower name specifically because of him? Or is there another secret meaning that we’re missing?

[RELATED: How Thunderbolts* Can Turn the MCU Around After Captain America: Brave New World]

“It’s like the Al Pacino quote from Godfather III,” Sebastian Stan said about Bucky Barnes winding up on the Thunderbolts. “Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in. Bucky is going to come across this group, and realise that they’re quite similar, in a way, to him. So I think he feels he can contribute and be a leader.” 

Three minutes of Thunderbolts* footage was screened back at D23 Expo Brazil, which is where we learned that Val purchased Avengers Tower. The footage featured Valentina pouring a drink in the same place Tony Stark once did in Avengers, overlooking the city and speaking to the band of misfits she put together for a secret mission.

“How crazy is it to think of all the monumental fights that happened exactly here where you’re standing,” Valentina tells the group. “I mean, the place wasn’t cheap, but it’s got good optics.”

Merchandise for Thunderbolts* provides a closer look at the costume Lewis Pullman will wear as Sentry. It comes courtesy of a wave of Funko Pop! collectibles debuting soon. The figures include Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker, with Sentry comprising the fifth. Sentry comes with a special stand to make it appear as if he’s flying in his gold and blue suit.

Thunderbolts* opens in theaters on May 2nd. Let us know your thoughts on Valentina renaming Avengers Tower the Watchtower in the comments below!

The post Avengers Tower Officially Gets a New Name in Thunderbolts* (And It’s Not What You Expected) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts is different from other MCU movies, and accordingly, it needs outside influences. As you might expect, it draws influence from other action movies like Mission: Impossible and crime thrillers like Reservoir Dogs, but on Thursday, director Jake Schreier named another surprising influence: Pixar’s Toy Story 3. In an interview with Empire, Schreier explained how this tale of sentient toys confronting their mortality and working together to stay alive became an important reference point for his unlikely superhero team. He even referenced Toy Story 3‘s gut-wrenching furnace scene, hinting that there may be some dark times ahead for the Thunderbolts.

“I had Toy Story 3 in there,” Schreier said when listing off his influences for Thunderbolts. “It wasn’t as focused on a genre as much as dynamics amongst characters. They all have that dynamic of a team that is thrown together. That [furnace] sequence works so well because you’ve come to care about these characters so much. Can they get out of the trash can together?”

The dread of becoming obsolete is also a powerful theme shared between Thunderbolts and Toy Story 3. Andy’s toys have done their job well, and they’re not needed in his adult life anymore. Meanwhile, all the misfits that will come together to form the Thunderbolts are antiheroes, at best, regarded as threats more than saviors, with complicated pasts that can’t be overlooked even if they save the world.

[RELATED: Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Trailer Has a Major Connection to Loki and The Avengers]

“You’re talking about a group of characters that have done a lot of bad things, and maybe are struggling with feeling good about themselves,” Schreier said. “There’s an element that does speak to mental health, and loneliness, and how some of the darkness that we experience in our lives can’t be necessarily fixed, but can only really be made lighter through connection and finding others.”

While nearly all of the Thunderbolts have some amount of super powers and/or special training, none of them are equipped to stand up to cosmic threats like Thanos. That seems to be part of the reason for this team-up, and it may drive the MCU into bigger and bigger crossovers in the coming titles. We’re only a year out from the next Avengers movie right now, and this is looking like a pivotal step in bringing some of the major characters together.

Thunderbolts hits theaters on May 2nd, 2025. Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now. You can catch up on the Thunderbolts team members by streaming their past movies and TV shows on Disney+.

The post Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Director Reveals Influence of Devastating Pixar Movie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Thunderbolts* trailers have yet to give audiences a clear look at Sentry suited up, but official merchandise for the movie showcases the character in his costume. The first wave of Thunderbolts* Funko Pop! collectibles has been revealed online, with five figures debuting soon. Among the group are Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Bucky Barnes, and John Walker, who have all been heavily featured in Thunderbolts* marketing throughout the film’s promotional campaign. The fifth figure is for Sentry, which comes with a special stand to make it appear as if he’s flying in his gold and blue suit.

The Instagram post shared by the account distrackers notes that the Funko Pops! will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, March 5th. Details on exactly where to find them can be found here. Check it out in the space below:

Thunderbolts*, which releases in early May, is the final film of Phase Five in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As established by previous marketing materials, the movie follows a group of mismatched heroes commissioned by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to fill the void left by the Avengers. The trailers have showcased the team dynamic at the heart of the film, tapping into the humor of these characters interacting with each other.

[RELATED – How Thunderbolts* Can Turn the MCU Around After Captain America: Brave New World]

In Thunderbolts*, Sentry is played by Lewis Pullman, who was introduced in the movie’s first trailer as the mysterious “Bob.” Ahead of the film’s release, the actor hasn’t been able to get into too much detail about his role, but he did tell ComicBook back in September that Bob “does make his way out of those scrubs” fans see in the preview, implying he’ll sport an official Sentry costume at some point.

Considering that Marvel has kept Sentry’s look under wraps in trailers and TV spots thus far, it’s a little surprising to see the character be spotlighted like this in tie-in merchandise. For a while, it seemed like the proper reveal was being saved for the film’s premiere. Perhaps the studio is planning on fully unveiling Sentry in footage shared during the home stretch of the Thunderbolts* promotional campaign, illustrating to audiences the threat that the titular team is up against. Seeing a tease of Sentry’s full power unleashed could generate even more excitement for the movie, which might benefit its box office prospects as it kicks off a very important summer movie season for Marvel.

If the Funko Pop! is any indication, Sentry’s MCU costume will be fairly comics-accurate. The suit on the figure boasts the same color scheme as the source material and features an “S” symbol on the belt. After Marvel received some criticism for deviating from the comics in its depiction of the Serpent Society in Captain America: Brave New World, it’s nice to see the filmmakers went in an opposite direction for Sentry. It will be interesting to see what differences are present regarding the character’s origin story, but at least his movie costume looks like it will be pulled straight from the pages.

Do you like how the Sentry Funko Pop! looks? Let us know in the comments!

The post Thunderbolts* Merch Reveals First Look at a Secret Marvel Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has need of revitalization following the mediocre reception of Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts* can provide that spark. The MCU’s newest movie spotlights Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America for the first time on the big screen, while introducing new characters like Red Hulk (Harrison Ford), Sabra (Shira Haas), Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), and Copperhead (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson). The MCU’s next movie, Thunderbolts*, differs in that its core team of antiheroes have already appeared in the franchise before. Consisting of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost/Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), Thunderbolts* main characters will converge to take on a dangerous mission under the direction of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Freyfus) in the Jake Schreier-directed film.

Much of Brave New World’s criticism targets the movie’s incorporation of too many new characters and inability to give them all enough to do. Thunderbolts* has the potential to improve in that area, as the movie fixates on recurring characters and continuations of their already established stories. The MCU has gone without a truly impressive non-sequel movie for quite some time, and Thunderbolts* promises to turn things around.

[RELATED – How SPOILER’s Captain America: Brave New World Story Sets Up Their Thunderbolts* Role]

Thunderbolts* Won’t Repeat Captain America: Brave New World‘s Shortcomings

Although other MCU movies have succeeded in introducing multiple new characters, Captain America: Brave New World simply took on more than it could handle. An overabundance of players in its narrative rendered the film overly convoluted, and most of the new characters were not adequately developed by the end. On the contrary, Thunderbolts* relies on familiarity with its characters rather than bringing in multiple major figures for the first time. Only Sentry (Lewis Pullman) stands as a key new addition to the MCU in Thunderbolts*, thus the film shouldn’t have trouble completing his introduction.

Accordingly, Thunderbolts* will likely avoid feeling overstuffed like Brave New World. Based on the movie’s trailers and currently available plot information, it appears that the main characters in Thunderbolts* will be together a lot, indicating that the story won’t jump around too much. Moreover, Thunderbolts* enters the MCU as a standalone film rather than a genuine sequel, despite its many returning personalities. Thus, Thunderbolts* can resume the individual storylines of Yelena, Bucky, Alexei, John, Ava, and Antonia while building their relationships with each other. Brave New World‘s status as a follow-up project to the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier meant that audiences had homework to do before watching the film despite its inclusion of so many new faces.

Thunderbolts*, on the other hand, will certainly intrigue those who have seen Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and other relevant titles, but new viewers shouldn’t have trouble understanding the movie, as much of the entire team is appearing on screen for the first time together. Even though there are some prior links between Yelena and Alexei and Bucky and John, for example, the primary appeal of Thunderbolts* remains its offering of both familiar and fresh elements. The upcoming film could reinvigorate the MCU given that most of the franchise’s recent movies have been sequels.

Thunderbolts* Can Pave the Way for the MCU’s Future Movies

As a true team-up movie involving existing non-Avengers characters from different corners of the MCU, Thunderbolts* is attempting a concept rarely before seen in the franchise. 2023’s The Marvels orchestrated a similar idea, although it involves a smaller team of three rather than a squad of seven in Thunderbolts*. If the structure of Thunderbolts* succeeds, the MCU should look to organize unique team-ups in future movies. Implementing this strategy more often would enable fan-favorite characters to compile more appearances closer together. The morally gray heroes of Thunderbolts* aren’t likely to feature prominently (if at all) in the MCU’s upcoming big events, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, so this type of grounded projects allows them to shine both individually and as a group without forcing them into any major overarching narrative. All in all, Thunderbolts* boasts enormous potential as a standalone character-driven story that draws excitement from fans’ knowledge of its characters.

Captain America: Brave New World is now playing in theaters. Thunderbolts* opens in theaters on May 2nd.

Are you looking forward to Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How Thunderbolts* Can Turn the MCU Around After Captain America: Brave New World appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World‘s arrival in theaters has once again sparked discussion about the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Avengers: Endgame. It’s been no secret that Marvel Studios has lost a step – a few steps, if we’re all being honest – and it hasn been more than disappointing to see the franchise failing to achieve the same kind of power and resonance it once had. However, despite going on over half a decade without the MCU hitting like it used to, my love of the franchise hasn’t died (yet). I still very much love the MCU – which is why I’m still rooting for it to get better.

Any MCU fan, new or old, has spent countless minutes re-watching that now-classic climactic sequence from Endgame: Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) thinks he’s the last man standing on the battlefield against Thanos and his alien army, only to hear Sam Wilson/Falcon’s (Anthony Mackie) iconic “On your left,” in his earpiece, before Doctor Strange and other mystics open Sling-Ring portals and deliver an army of Marvel heroes to stand alongside Cap.

There was a reason that moment in Endgame is so profound and rousing for so many fans: it was more than just a payoff to Avengers: Infinity Wars and Avengers: Endgame – it was the culmination of the entire MCU Infinity Saga, and over a decade of films. More than that, though: Endgame‘s ‘Last Man Standing’ sequence, and all of those familiar MCU heroes returning to life and to the fight, was an undeniable prompt for a flood of memories and emotions that are invariably tied to the MCU; all the places we were, and the events happening in our lives when we saw each of those preceding movies; for older fans, the years upon years that were waited to see this epic collectionof Marvel characters realized in live-action at all, let alone coming together for one big epic showdown on the big screen. Kevin Feige, The Russo Bros, and the other filmmakers involved with Endgame knew what kind of moment they had earned, and they didn’t waste the chance ot let fans recognize and bask in it, together.

When you hear fans talk about the MCU not being like it used to be, they’re mostly referring to all those rousing emotions that came rushing to the surface dring Endgame‘s ‘Last Man Standing’ sequence. Not only were (most) of the MCU movie releases fun events worth a trip to the theater, the interconnected nature of the films (however loose it was at times) made investment in each of them feel worthwhile in the long run. That larger investment of time and interest also served as a bridge to other like-minded fans who were locked-in for the whole larger saga, creating one of the most robust and passionate fanbases ever. In the post-Endgame era, that sense of necessary viewing for MCU content has been all but lost – and with it has gone any sense of a coheisve larger narrative, and fanbase to discuss and debate it. It hit especially hard during the pandemic and the years trying to bounce back afterward, while a deluge of Marvel content hit the big and small screen: the sense of being one large, unified community gone, replaced by a confusing roadmap of different IPs on various platforms, with differing levels of investment amongst the fans. The sense of community has faded, while the actual MCU products have (overall) delivered less in the way of big, epic, or beloved moments. It’s not wrong to feel like some of the luster is gone.

We all know by now that Marvel Studios and Disney fell under new leadership when Disney CEO Bob Chapek replaced his predeccssor Bob Iger in Feburary of 2020. Chapek was caught up in the rush of the COVID-19 pandemic and like so many other media companies, he leaned into streaming as the new Gold Rush in entertainment. No need to deeply reshash it here (that’s for a future bestseller to do), but the plan didn’t work out: MCU products flipped to a “quantity over quality” mantra (on both the film and TV sides); oversaturation of watered-down product made entire characters and franchises D.O.A.; it was such a misfire that Chapek was shown the door in 2022, and Disney-Marvel Studios has been attempting to right the ship since then – while taking additional hard hits from things like the Hollywood Strikes in 2023.

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Marks the End of Marvel Studios’ Darkest Era]

We’ve already broken down how Captain America: Brave New World is completely stained by the high-water mark of the MCU’s oversaturation era. That film was all but ripped apart by being stretched between the transitions in Disney leadership (Chapek being fired, Iger being brought back), and it shows. However, if you’re a longtime MCU fan who has been keeping up with everything behind the scenes, you know that now is the time and place to shake off the disappointment, and hope again.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney+ in March; that show was completely retooled and re-shot after its initial batch of episodes (offering a very different take on Daredevil) failed to impress Disney and Marvel executives. So far, Born Again looks like a spiritual successor to the Netflix Daredevil series that fans actually want to see; after that, we’ll be back to a classic Marvel Studios summer kickoff with Thunderbolts* in May – a film that is generating overwhelmingly good hype after its trailers. Marvel Studios rolled the dice big time on its Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser trailer launch, but so far the odds are looking very much in that film’s favor. Between them, Daredevil will likely prove the MCU can still use revisit IPs from the larger Marvel Entertainment brand (key to the franchise’s soft-reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars); Thunderbolts* can prove that the larger interconnected history of the MCU can still be mined for smart and impactful crossover stories, and Fantastic Four will prove that there are still viable characters and IPs in Marvel’s stable capable of launching new blockbuster IPs.

If all three of those goals are met, it will be undeniable that the MCU is back, and fan will have all the reasons needed to feel good and celebrate the franchise again. Like Cap on that battlefield, we could disover that, at its lowest point, the MCU has strong calvalry ready to ride in turn the tide. And I (along with you) will be assembled and ready for it.

And yes, there’s no doubt that (unless the Russos have a miracle twist up their sleeves) the “grand finale” of the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars wil likely feel like a rushed and disjointed affair. But Doomsday and Secret Wars can still be great event films that get us to the real promised land hardcore fans are looking at: Phase Seven, and a rebooted Marvel Cinematic Universe (no more multiverse) where the Avengers, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and every other Marvel character and property are all part of one franchise, at last.

Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV series are streaming on Disney+. Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters; Thunderbolts* has a release date of May 2nd; Fantastic Four: First Steps has a release date of July 25th, and Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney+ on March 4th.

The post I Still Love the MCU – Which Is Why I Want It to Be Better appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios continues to expand its cinematic universe with Captain America: Brave New World, a political thriller that positions Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the true heir of Steve Roger’s (Chris Evans) mantle. Following the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the movie explores how Wilson shoulders the responsibility of the shield while navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. His theatrical debut as Captain America comes at a crucial moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as various factions emerge to fill the power vacuum left by the original Avengers’ absence. That storyline is even more relevant to the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie, which promises to introduce a new team of enhanced individuals assembled by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).

WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World

Brave New World significantly alters the MCU’s power dynamics through the reemergence of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who has traded his Winter Soldier moniker for a seat in the United States Congress. This surprising development carries major implications for the future of enhanced individuals in the MCU, particularly regarding their relationship with governmental institutions. Bucky’s new role suggests a growing alliance with Valentina, as they ‘assemble’ a formidable roster of operatives – including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Red Guardian (David Harbour) – to work for the United States government. 

The Thunderbolts’ composition reveals Valentina’s strategy of recruiting enhanced individuals with complex histories, positioning them as America’s answer to the absence of the Avengers. This marks a significant shift from the traditional model of superhero teams operating independently of national interests, suggesting a new era where enhanced individuals might become tools of state power rather than independent peacekeepers. Sam is rebuilding the Avengers at the end of Captain America: Brave New World, which might set him on a collision course with Bucky’s new team (if they survive facing The Sentry).

Sam Wilson Should Have a Cameo in Thunderbolts*

While Marvel Studios hasn’t officially announced Mackie’s involvement in Thunderbolts*, the precedent for surprise appearances in the MCU suggests the possibility deserves serious consideration. Just as Bucky’s role in Brave New World remained under wrapsd until release, the studio could be keeping other casting decisions close to the vest. The film’s scheduled release on May 2, 2025, provides ample opportunity for additional filming or the inclusion of scenes shot in secret. However, beyond mere speculation about production logistics, the narrative groundwork laid by recent MCU entries makes a potential Sam Wilson appearance particularly compelling from a storytelling perspective.

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Marks the End of the MCU’s Darkest Era]

The philosophical tension between government-controlled superhero teams and independent peacekeepers has been a recurring theme throughout the MCU, from Captain America: Civil War to Captain America: Brave New World. However, Thunderbolts* introduces a new wrinkle to this dynamic by positioning enhanced individuals as direct agents of American interests rather than global protectors. This shift creates natural dramatic possibilities for exploring how Sam Wilson, as the current bearer of the shield, responds to this evolution in superhero governance. His appearance could provide crucial context for understanding how different factions of enhanced individuals will coexist in this new landscape, while his personal connection to Bucky adds emotional depth to these broader political themes.

In addition, a Sam Wilson cameo could serve multiple narrative functions beyond simple universe-building. His presence would help establish the boundaries between different superhero teams operating in the post-Endgame era, clarifying the scope and limitations of each of them. Moreover, an interaction between Sam and Bucky could illuminate how their friendship adapts to their new roles on opposite sides of the governmental divide. Finally, Wilson’s appearance could provide hints about his own plans for assembling a new Avengers team, creating anticipation for future MCU developments while maintaining the complex web of relationships that has defined this franchise since its inception.

Would you like to see Sam Wilson in Thunderbolts*? How likely do you think a Captain America cameo is? Let us know in the comments!

The post Will Anthony Mackie’s Captain America Pop Up for a Thunderbolts* Cameo? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World delivers more than just Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) first theatrical adventure as the star-spangled hero. The movie also features a surprising cameo that carries significant implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future. Dating all the way back to Iron Man, it’s no surprise that an MCU movie would have a cameo that sets up a sequel, yet this appearance still managed to take many audiences by surprise. With Thunderbolts* on the horizon, this character’s Brave New World cameo helps explain what new role they have in a world where growing concerns about the actions of enhanced individuals define the future of the Avengers and other U.S.-based superheroes.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Captain America: Brave New World

The cameo in question is Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, appearing at a crucial time to offer guidance to Sam.

After the events of Eternals, where a massive Celestial partially emerged from Earth’s crust, various nations began investigating the mysterious landmass now known as Celestial Island. By the time the events of Brave New World unfold, the discovery of adamantium within Tiamut’s corpse reshapes the geopolitical landscape, with several countries laying claim to this invaluable resource. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), recognizing the potential for military conflict, proposes an ambitious international cooperation initiative to distribute the metal equally among nations.

This delicate diplomatic situation attracts the attention of Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), the Leader, who sees the perfect opportunity to destroy Ross’ legacy. Using sophisticated mind control technology, Sterns targets American fighter pilots stationed near Celestial Island, compelling them to launch an unauthorized attack on Japanese vessels monitoring the area. The assault threatens to unravel Ross’s peace negotiations and potentially ignite a broader international conflict, forcing Sam Wilson to intervene alongside his partner and protégé, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Review: The Winter Soldier’s Spiritual Successor ]

The mission takes a devastating turn when Torres, attempting to prevent the mind-controlled pilots from reaching their targets, is struck by a missile and critically wounded. At the hospital, Sam maintains a constant vigil while Jooaquin undergoes surgery. In this moment of crisis, Bucky Barnes arrives to support his friend, just as Sam questions his decision to refuse enhancement, wondering if super-soldier abilities might have prevented Torres’s injuries. Drawing from his own complex history with enhancement, Bucky reminds Sam that his human limitations make him an inspiration, showing people they can be heroes through courage and conviction alone. Their conversation also reveals Bucky is now a Congressman, which sheds some light on the plot of Thunderbolts*.

From Winter Soldier to Washington: Bucky’s Evolution Shapes the Thunderbolts* Future

Bucky’s emergence as a political figure gains a more profound significance in light of CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) ongoing operations. Since her first appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Valentina has methodically consolidated power through a series of calculated moves. She acquired Avengers Tower from Tony Stark in the aftermath of the Civil War, creating a new base of operations in the heart of New York City. She also recruited John Walker (Wyatt Russell) after his fall from grace as Captain America, rebranding him as U.S. Agent. Furthermore, she manipulated expert assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) by falsely implicating Clint Barton in Black Widow’s death.

Valentina’s ambitions became clearer in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she pursued aggressive policies to acquire vibranium for the United States. Her ruthlessness peaked when she arrested her own ex-husband, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), for opposing these methods and sharing intelligence with Wakanda. This pattern of manipulating both personal relationships and international politics continues in the latest Thunderbolts* trailer, where Valentina addresses a congressional hearing about America’s security needs. Standing near Valentina is Bucky, who now we know could be acting as her political ally.

Bucky’s supposed alliance with Valentina can also explain some footage we’ve seen in Thunderbolts*’ trailers. We know the other members of the anti-hero team meet by accident in a secret facility. We also know that, at some point, Bucky will hunt down the other members of the Thunderbolts before they all become a team. Due to his new Congressman position, Bucky could be helping Valentina to assemble her team of enhanced individuals, trying to fill the gap the absence of the Avengers left in the world. 

Whether Bucky is working with Valentina to legitimize her program or positioning himself to monitor and potentially check her ambitions remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how he can balance his new political obligations with his superhero expertise.

Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2nd. Are you excited about the next MCU movie? What role do you expect Bucky to play in Thunderbolts*? Join the discussion in the comments!

The post How SPOILER’s Captain America: Brave New World Story Sets Up Their Thunderbolts* Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Thunderbolts* are getting striking new looks. Marvel’s Super Bowl trailer showed off the redesigned suits worn by the MCU’s most unconventional and dysfunctional team of antiheroes, which includes assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), super-soldiers Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour), spies Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and disgraced Captain America wannabe John Walker (Wyatt Russell).

After the government-sanctioned Cap was dishonorably discharged during the events of 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) recruited him to her team: an answer to the Avengers*. “Things are about to get weird. So when they do, we’re not gonna need a Captain America,” Val said of her black-clad, unsanctioned super-soldier. “We’re gonna need a U.S. Agent.”

RELATED: Marvel Studios Finally Reveals the Meaning of the Thunderbolts* Asterisk

“We look f—ing cool,” Russell told Empire Magazine. “And last time, I’m gonna be honest, I don’t think I looked very cool.” Walker acted like, well, a dickhead, so it was fitting that was what his first suit resembled. “[This time] they made my helmet not look like the end of a penis,” Russell added.

When Russell’s Walker stepped out in an ill-fitting Captain America costume in an episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he told USA Today that wearing the star-spangled suit was “hot,” “very difficult,” “painful,” and, to keep up the penis comparisons, “stiff.”

That unorthodox description is appropriate, because the asterisk-titled Thunderbolts* isn’t your typical Marvel movie. The titular group is comprised of angsty antiheroes, assassins, spies, and washed-up super-soldiers, all connected by a common thread: redemption. As the synopsis states, “After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?”

“It’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as you’ve seen in the past,” Russell teased during a 2023 panel. “I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun but I think it will be something that, hopefully, Marvel fans will look at and go, ‘Oh OK, this is a little different, let’s go hard at it.’ And as far as how we are approaching it, it’s time to go to work a little bit, it’s time to make a good Marvel movie. So let’s do that and work hard at it and don’t take things for granted.”

Tell us what you think about the new Thunderbolts* suits in the comments below (or visit the ComicBook Panel), and see the MCU movie when it opens in theaters May 2.

The post Thunderbolts* Star Calls Out Their Old Costume With Hilarious NSFW Description appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Super Bowl isn’t just the place for sports fans to feel some hometown pride or shame. Ever since Independence Day revamped this gaming event as a go-to space to promote major movies, studios have used the Big Game as a space to drop commercials for the biggest blockbusters of a given year. Throughout the years, The Avengers, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen have either ramped up or entirely kicked off their respective marketing campaigns with ads aired during the most-watched TV event of any year. Super Bowl LIX didn’t deliver any movie trailers that took pop culture by storm like the most famous Super Bowl movie ads nor were any as creative in editing and presentation as, say, that faux-medication ad Cure for Wellness dropped eight years ago.

Still, there were quite a few Super Bowl movie trailers this year and ranking them worst to best indicates to the world the “proper” and “improper” way to promote a major upcoming blockbuster at this event. The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t the only Super Bowl LIX victors this year, as this ranking from worst to best of this year’s Super Bowl movie commercials makes apparent.

10) Smurfs

Props to the Smurfs Super Bowl commercial for using the casting of Rihanna as Smurfette as a reason to start this ad with a fake-out Halftime Show reference. Otherwise, this ad was Smurfin’ boring. It’s remarkable that this Smurfs reboot is retreading both the concept of sending the Smurfs to the “real world” and having these blue critters go to Paris from the previous two live-action Smurfs installments. Not even a final gag involving a Nick Offerman Smurf saying “guacamole” could salvage Super Bowl LIX’s worst movie commercial.

9) M3gan 2.0

As of this writing, it’s impossible to actually find a unique M3GAN 2.0 Super Bowl commercial online despite this ad apparently airing during the game. Reports of what it actually contained indicate it only minimally varied from the short dance-heavy teaser that debuted during the Grammy’s a week earlier. The lack of accessibility for this commercial and its derivative nature compared to the official M3GAN 2.0 teaser trailer make this one of the weakest Big Game trailers, no question.

8) F1

Dropping its first new footage since its teaser seven months ago, Brad Pitt’s F1’s Super Bowl commercial continued the movie’s marketing strategy of relying exclusively on largely dialogue-free footage of the famous actor behind the wheel of an F1 automobile. Such images were surely difficult to capture during principal photography, but like the teaser, F1’s Super Bowl ad didn’t have much unique personality of its own. The fast cars went zoom, but there wasn’t much else to make it stick around in your mind.

7) How to Train Your Dragon

The greatest strength of the How to Train Your Dragon Big Game spot was simply reminding viewers that John Powell’s Dragon score was nothing short of iconic. This franchise’s central theme is guaranteed to send your spirit soaring. How frustrating, then, to hear that music paired with footage from a live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake that looks so creatively discouraging. This commercial just made the project look even more like a shot-for-shot retread of the 2010 classic. Powell’s score and an adorable critter like Toothless deserve better than something that looks this artistically stagnant.

6) Novocaine

Jack Quaid’s Novocaine was the rare original film (along with F1) to show up at the Super Bowl. This commercial had some welcome flourishes, namely the consistently crisp editing that stuck around from depictions of the titular lead’s mundane life to footage of him fighting bad guys. Still, this Novocaine Super Bowl commercial highlighted several quippy lines from the film’s trailer that still aren’t very funny even in an abbreviated format.

[RELATED: CB Panel: Discuss What You Think Was the Best Super Bowl Trailer]

5) Jurassic World Rebirth

In a better year of Super Bowl movie commercials, the Jurassic World Rebirth Big Game ad (which was basically just a truncated version of the Rebirth teaser) wouldn’t have had a prayer of cracking the top five on this list. However, Rebirth at least had some dinosaurs chomping at people, which puts it above the F1 and Smurfs commercials. Despite those prehistoric beasties, Rebirth’s Super Bowl ad couldn’t erase the feeling that this looks like a super perfunctory return to this once-special world.

4) Captain America: Brave New World

A lengthy glimpse at Captain America: Brave New World heralded the imminent arrival of this new Marvel Cinematic Universe title. Most of the shots (namely the new glimpses of the Red Hulk and Captain America showdown) in here look perfectly fine. However, the commercial was held back from a higher ranking by a weird decision to have characters “pop out of the screen” by walking or moving outside of the borders of the film’s aspect ratio. This distracting gimmick is how you promote digital 3D movies in 2011, not more “grounded” superhero movies in 2025.

3) Lilo & Stitch

Like How to Train Your Dragon, the Lilo & Stitch remake looks disappointing on an artistic level. Props to the Disney marketing person, though, who decided that the film’s Super Bowl commercial should carry on the tradition of Stitch “invading” other Disney movies and pop culture properties. Having this new incarnation of Stitch create Super Bowl LIX chaos was a cute sight reaffirming the character’s destructive spirit.

2) Thunderbolts*

God only knows why the New York City depicted in every piece of Thunderbolts* marketing is so devoid of color and awash in grey slush. Otherwise, the Super Bowl trailer for Thunderbolts* was surprisingly delightful, particularly in how it showed the chemistry between performers like Florence Pugh and David Harbour could be something special. Bonus points for the inspired use of the Starship song “Nothing’s Gonne Stop Us Now” to underpin the whole ad.

1) Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning’s Super Bowl commercial featured a visually exciting detail that many of the Big Game movie ads this year lacked. The commercial featured an aspect ratio that grew wider and wider as the trailer went on, thus allowing viewers to witness an increasing amount of spectacle the longer they stared at the screen. This flourish accentuated an escalating aura of excitement in The Final Reckoning’s Super Bowl commercial and offered something distinctly different from the structure of its striking teaser trailer.

The post From Thunderbolts* to Jurassic World Rebirth, Ranking This Year’s Best Super Bowl Trailers appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The new Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer answered some of the most-asked questions surrounding the Marvel team-up movie. Questions like: Who is the villain? (Answer: Lewis Pullman’s Bob Reynolds, a.k.a. Sentry, a.k.a. the Void.) Who bought and then remodeled Avengers Tower? (Answer: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the shady CIA director played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.) Another question is asked by Val in front of a congressional hearing: “The Avengers are not coming. Who will keep the American people safe?” (The answer: the Thunderbolts*.)

But the biggest question remained unanswered until now: “Why does Thunderbolts* have an asterisk?” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was the first to tease the asterisk-titled Thunderbolts during last year’s CinemaCon, telling the convention crowd of the new logo: “We won’t tell you any more about that until the film comes out.”

While the movie isn’t due out until May 2, a new international poster (below) reveals that Thunderbolts* comes with an asterisk to indicate that “the Avengers are not available.”

RELATED: Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Super Bowl Trailer May Spoil a Big Death

The name isn’t initially embraced by the team, which includes Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko).

While Alexei excitedly declares the dysfunctional anti-heroes are “the Thunderbolts*,” an exasperated Bucky responds, “Can’t call ourselves that.” But Alexei insists, confident that they can “bring light from the darkness” — like a thunderbolt. Maybe it has something to do with the all-consuming black Void seen shrouding New York City in darkness…?

In addition to the new trailer and poster, Marvel also released a synopsis: “Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?”

Thunderbolts*, out May 2, will be the second Marvel Studios movie to hit theaters this year, coming after the Anthony Mackie-fronted Captain America: Brave New World (Feb. 14) and just weeks before The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25). Jake Schreier (Paper Towns, Netflix’s Beef) is directing the feature produced by Feige. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito (Deadpool & Wolverine), Jason Tamez (WandaVision), Brian Chapek (Thor: Love and Thunder), and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow).

The post New Thunderbolts* Poster Reveals the Meaning of the Asterisk (And No One Could Have Guessed It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Welcome to a new discussion with the ComicBook Panel! Make sure to post your own comments for the Super Bowl trailers down below!

Earlier this week, Super Bowl LIX aired and pitted the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans. While the game was very much in favor of the Eagles, winning 40 to 22, movie fans were the real winners of the night. Sprinkled between celebrity-centric commercials were some trailers for 2025’s biggest and most anticipated films like Smurfs, How to Train Your Dragon, M3GAN 2.0, Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Lilo & Stitch.

One of the most talked about trailers comes, of course, from Marvel with their action-comedy superhero epic Thunderbolts* (yes, the asterisk is meant to be there). Taking some of the MCU’s favorite antiheroes like the Winter Soldier, Yelena, and Red Guardian and making them collaborate in order to stop the unhinged Sentry is sure to be a fun watch. While there was a lack of Taskmaster, the hype for the film, which releases on May 2nd, felt rather palpable at the Super Bowl.

Even more so, the recently released trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth, starring Black Widow‘s Scarlett Johansson, Wicked‘s Jonathan Bailey, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s Mahershala Ali, left a dinosaur-sized footprint on audiences. Taking place after Dominion, a team of scientists will trek to find the three largest dinosaur species on a forbidden island. The only catch? They are very much still alive and not the friendly type, as we see throughout. Coming out on July 2nd, the film seems poised to make quite the splash in the Summer box office. And this just scratches the surface of all of the thrilling cinematic teases for the year, igniting excitement in movie fans everywhere.

What trailer stuck out the most to you during the Super Bowl? Do you have a favorite one? Any that felt a bit disappointing? Let us know in the comments!

Check out some of our coverage of the many Super Bowl trailers down below!

• What to Know About Sentry, the Villain in the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl Trailer
• The Thunderbolts* Super Bowl Trailer May Spoil a Big Death
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Reveals New Footage of Its Best Returning Character
• Jurassic World Rebirth’s New Dinosaur Might Be the Scariest of the Entire Franchise
• How Jurassic World Rebirth Connects to the Original Jurassic Park
• How to Train Your Dragon Star Says Live-Action Remake Is Scarier Than Animated Movie

The post CB Panel: Discuss What You Think Was the Best Super Bowl Trailer appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Studios came to play like it was one of the teams in the 2025 Super Bowl, and the big MVP was no doubt the new trailer for Thunderbolts* which debuted during the big game. The latest footage from Thunderbolts* showcased an epic struggle between the rag-tag team of espionage misfits (Black Widow II, Winter Soldier, Red Guardian, US Agent, Ghost, Taskmaster) and Marvel’s twisted Superman character The Sentry. However, in giving us more of the story behind the film, Thunderbolts* may have also spoiled a key story detail of Captain America: Brave New World!

Valentina’s Avengers

The expanded trailer for Thunderbolts* reveals more of how Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) fits into the film. Valentina is seen speaking in front of some kind of congressional committee, where here entire premise is that “The Avengers are not coming” to save innocent people from the latest major calamity (more on that later…), while posing the question of “who will keep the American people safe?” Based on the story synopsis and other trailers for Thunderbolts*, it’s pretty clear that Valentina brings the team together to be her new Avengers squad – going so far as to welcome them into Avengers Tower.

It wouldn’t be surprising either, to learn that Valentina was trying to make The Sentry (Lewis Pullman) the Hulk/Thor powerhouse of her new Avengers team before the situation goes sideways because Sentry is hiding a world-threatening supervillain inside of his fractured mind. The outcome of the mission to stop Sentry will likely reveal why the title of Thunderbolts* has that asterisk in it: either the team becomes Valentina’s government-sponsored Avengers squad – or too few of them survive the mission to even be considered a team anymore.

If the Thunderbolts are being recruited to operate in place of an Avengers team that’s no longer available, it seems like that already answers a major question about Captain America: Brave New World.

[RELARED: Thunderbolts Super Bowl Trailer May Spoil Major Death]

Does Sam Wilson’s Captain America Get the Avengers Job?

The trailers and TV spots for Captain America: Brave New World haven’t been shy about name-dropping the Avengers, to get Marvel Cinematic Universe fans hyped. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) tasks Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) with rebuilding the Avengers as a government-sponsored team backed by the White House. It’s an idea that Sam has major reservations about – and that’s before Ross gets transformed into a fiery Red Hulk, and a villainous mastermind (The Leader) is revealed to be manipulating geo-political events. By the end of Brave New World, it will be understandable if Same strikes out on his own, much like Steve Rogers did in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

That doesn’t mean Sam Wilson won’t be a major player in the Avengers franchise: Mackie is already confirmed to be returning for the two-part Avengers: Doomsday, and Secret Wars event. However, at the moment it doesn’t feel like he’ll be leading an “official” Avengers squad. That mantle (however hollow it may be) feels like it will pass to the Thunderbolts – just in time for the entire multiverse to start falling apart.

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters this week. Thunderbolts* will be released in theaters on May 2nd.

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Thunderbolts* channels the breakfast of champions in a fittingly new poster for the Marvel Studios flick. If you’re not picking up on this reference, you may have missed the Thunderbolts* trailer that dropped during the Super Bowl. The Big Game Spot made sure to get the point across that the Thunderbolts aren’t heroes, while also referencing the Wheaties cereal brand. Wheaties is known for its slogan “The Breakfast of Champions” and putting recent sports champions on the front of its boxes. But instead of Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles, the Thunderbolts are your Wheaties cover stars.

Marvel Studios released a new poster for Thunderbolts* shortly after the Super Bowl Big Game Spot trailer, and it puts out Thunderbolts stars on the Wheaties box with the caption, “The Breakfast of C̶h̶a̶m̶p̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ Thunderbolts*” The top of the poster has the phrase, “Everyone Deserves a Second Shot” with the bottom listing out the Thunderbolts* cast as ingredients: Yelena (Florence Pugh), Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Bob (Lewis Pullman). There’s also a short blurb about the Thunderbolts* Wheaties cereal “Now With More Bucky!”

[RELATED: Who Are the Thunderbolts* in the MCU? Explaining the Marvel Team]

Thunderbolts* Wheaties poster is a first for Marvel

This is the first time we can recall Marvel Studios doing a poster like this for one of its properties. Thunderbolts* is an unconventional project since they are clearly not the Avengers, yet they’re Earth’s last hope against a threat that fans got to see for the first time in the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer. While he’s not named, all reports point to Lewis Pullman portraying Sentry in Thunderbolts*. He can be seen at various points in the trailer hovering in the air and also tossing Red Guardian through a window at the top of the former Avengers Tower.

Thunderbolts* shares more in common with the Guardians of the Galaxy than the Avengers. The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie introduced relatively unknown characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and presented them as outlaws. While we’ve met the Thunderbolts* cast in previous Marvel TV shows and movies, they’ve never been portrayed as genuine heroes, save for Winter Soldier. But even he has a history as an agent of Hydra. Ghost and Taskmaster were the villains in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Widow, respectively.

Sebastian Stan recently compared the dysfunctional superhero ensemble to John Hughes’ beloved teen drama The Breakfast Club. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the Golden Globes red carpet, Stan elaborated on what makes Thunderbolts* stand apart from other Marvel team-ups. “I think this movie is very singular and will stand on its own,” Stan explained. “I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to, it’s its own thing. I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.”

Like The Breakfast Club‘s detention-bound teenagers, the MCU’s new superteam brings together a group of outcasts forced to work together despite their differences. Much like Hughes’ memorable teens, the Thunderbolts must overcome their initial animosity to work together.

Thunderbolts* opens in theaters on May 2nd.

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Marvel Studios’ latest Thunderbolts* trailer debuted during the Super Bowl, offering the first substantial look at how CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) assembles her controversial team of antiheroes. The footage starts with a high-stakes public hearing where Valentina argues that with the Avengers nowhere to be found and global threats rising, America needs a new line of defense. The spotlight falls on Superman star Wendell Pierce, who appears as an influential political figure weighing de Fontaine’s proposal alongside other officials, while former Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) stands next to Valentina, ready to demonstrate what her proposed team can do. 

As the Super Bowl trailer betrays, Marvel is positioning Pierce’s still-undisclosed character as a crucial figure in the political landscape. That means he’ll have two important superhero roles in 2025, as he’s already set to appear as Daily Planet editor Perry White in James Gunn’s Superman this July. Since Pierce seems to be leading the public hearing in the new trailer, he could determine if Valentina’s questionable team gets the green light.

[RELATED: The Thunderbolts* Super Bowl Trailer May Spoil a Big Death]

The Super Bowl footage also reveals the scale of de Fontaine’s ambitions for the Thunderbolts initiative. Operating from the former Avengers Tower in New York City, now repurposed as their headquarters, the team appears to have significant resources at their disposal. This level of backing suggests Pierce’s character may be just one part of a larger network of political supporters who see the Thunderbolts as a necessary evolution in superhuman affairs despite the obvious risks of empowering individuals with questionable histories. In addition to the Winter Soldier, Valentina’s recruits also include expert assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Russian super-soldier Red Guardian (David Harbour), and disgraced super-soldier U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), all individuals who don’t fit too well in the hero template.

How Thunderbolts* Could Change The MCU Forever

Marvel Studios’ shift toward exploring morally complex territory through Thunderbolts* marks a significant evolution in their post-Infinity Saga storytelling. Unlike the Avengers, who largely operated independently despite government oversight attempts, the Thunderbolts appear to be explicitly working as government operatives. This fundamental difference raises questions about control, accountability, and the true cost of “protection” in a world still recovering from the Blip.

The political thriller elements on display in the Super Bowl spot suggest that Thunderbolts will delve deeper into the murky waters of superhuman regulation than previous MCU entries. Director Jake Schreier, known for smaller character-driven films like Paper Towns, appears to be bringing a more grounded approach to the material. The emphasis on political hearings and bureaucratic power struggles presents a sharp contrast to traditional superhero spectacle, though the trailer’s action sequences promise the film won’t skimp on major set pieces.

The trailer also reveals how Thunderbolts* builds on plot elements established throughout Phase Four and Five of the MCU. From Valentina’s shadowy recruitment efforts to the growing public distrust of traditional heroes, the film appears poised to address numerous dangling narrative threads – which is excellent, considering the MCU is currently headed to the climax of the Multiversal Saga.

Thunderbolts arrives in theaters on May 2nd. Are you excited about Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments!

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“Everyone deserves a second shot,” reads the tagline on a Wheaties-inspired poster (see it below) that accompanies the new Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer released during the big game. The team of Marvel misfits aspiring to be the heroes on the Wheaties cereal box includes depressed assassin Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), former Hydra-brainwashed assassin Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), over-the-hill former Soviet super-soldier Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. spy Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), dishonorably discharged John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and the photo-reflexive former Red Room assassin Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko).

The trailer teases redemption for the team of morally ambiguous anti-heroes, assassins, and reformed villains who have “done bad things,” admits Yelena: “Shadow ops, robbing government labs, contract kills.”

RELATED: Who is Sentry in the MCU? Thunderbolts* Villain, Explained

“You can do something about it now,” Bucky tells the team of the big threat facing the so-called Thunderbolts*, “or live with it forever.” The footage reveals the Avengers-level threat to be Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman), the golden guardian with a dark side: the Sentry/the Void. It also hints that at least one member of the Thunderbolts* might not live to see their next Marvel team-up in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and the casualty appears to be — potential spoiler warning ahead — Taskmaster.

The action-packed trailer shows U.S. Army Sergeant-turned U.S. congressman Barnes at a hearing with CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) before firing on a Humvee behind a car carrying Yelena, Alexei, Ava, and John. He then tells the tied-up quartet, “There’s some big threat out there, and you are going to help me stop it.”

This must happen after the basement battle between Yelena, Ava, John, and Antonia, who are all lured to a mysterious facility in the desert where Bob is being held prisoner (as seen in the first trailer). Not only is Taskmaster absent from the convoy and the recruiting scene with Barnes, but she briefly appears just twice: firing an exploding arrow at John’s shield, and again during the trailer-ending name montage (noticeably, in a shot that is also from the vault battle).

As it happens, moments earlier, the trailer shows Yelena, Ava, and John narrowly escaping the vault with Bob as it’s incinerated in a self-destruct sequence. Taskmaster isn’t shown making it out of the blast, and she doesn’t appear to be present at any of the set pieces featured throughout the trailer, including a standoff with a legion of armed agents and the Thunderbolts’ fight with Sentry inside Avengers Tower. She’s also conspicuously absent from the group shots, so it seems Taskmaster will be killed off before all the team building.

Jake Schreier (Paper Towns) directs Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, which is produced by Kevin Feige (Deadpool & Wolverine) and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito (Captain America: Brave New World), Brian Chapek (Thor: Love and Thunder), Jason Tamez (Loki), and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow). The movie strikes theaters on May 2.

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The House that Tony Stark Built is still a prominent fixture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even years after the late hero sold it. There have been rumors and theories about who might have purchased the tower after Avengers: Endgame, and ahead of the new Thunderbolts* movie, fans learned that Valetina Allegra de Fontaine is at least running things over there, if not owning the building outright. The new trailer for Thunderbolts* finally gave everyone a glimpse of what the new iteration of the building looks like.

Marvel Studios released a brand new trailer for Thunderbolts* during the Super Bowl on Sunday night, and it showed off what the former Avengers Tower has become over the years. You can check it out in the image below!

The biggest difference in the addition on the back side of the tower. A darker, taller structure has been added to the rear of the former Avengers Tower, creeping up the side of the building like some kind of cape. It definitely gives the entire thing a more ominous feel than it had previously.

Perhaps there’s some kind of rocket launch element to the new piece of the tower, which could make sense given the Sentry of it all. There’s also the possibility that the new ownership is building a frame around the entire tower.

Avengers Tower All Over New MCU

Thunderbolts* takes place in the present day MCU, but it’s not the only film in the franchise that might be dealing with that iconic tower. The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives in theaters in July, appears to also have ties to the New York structure.

The first trailer for Marvel’s new Fantastic Four showed off the Baxter Building, which is where the First Family centers their operations. Both the interior and exterior shots of the building in that trailer make it seem like that home base is the same as the Avengers Tower. It’s even located in the same place in New York City.

[RELATED: Marvel Needs to Bring the Defenders Into the MCU]

Perhaps the most interesting element of the Baxter Building is that The Fantastic Four: First Steps likely exists in a different timeline/universe than the rest of the MCU. So not only does it take place in a different time period, but it’s going to look slightly different from the tower we’re used to.

The ties go deeper with the fact that Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as Fantastic Four rival Doctor Doom. Could his connections to the Fantastic Four and the Baxter Building provide a connection to his alternate-universe counterpart Tony Stark?

Let the theorizing begin…

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They’re not team players. A new look at Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* movie was shown at the 2025 Super Bowl on Sunday, revealing the first footage since an almost four-minute special sneak peek dropped during D23 Brazil in November. Brought to you by “a crew of indie veterans who sold out” for the “irreverent team-up” featuring the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “least anticipated band of misfits,” Thunderbolts* assembles Earth’s mightiest zeroes from MCU movies and series including Ant-Man and the Wasp, Black Widow, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Watch the just-released Thunderbolts* trailer below.

RELATED: Who Are the Thunderbolts* in the MCU? Explaining the Misfit Marvel Team

Indie director Jake Schreier (Paper Towns) and indie darling-turned-bonafide blockbuster action star Florence Pugh (Midsommar) team up for Thunderbolts*, which sees depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Pugh) return to the screen alongside an anti-team of anti-heroes under the thumb of the Nick Fury-esque CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).

Based out of the optics-friendly Avengers Tower, the Thunderbolts* are Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Robert “Bob” Reynolds/the Sentry (Lewis Pullman).

“We are not the good guys,” Harbour previously told ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con. “We are not capable. [We’re not] Captain America responsible. We don’t show up on time. Punctuality is not our strong suit.”

While Harbour’s Russian super soldier believes the asterisk-titled Thunderbolts can “rise to glory” as “the heroes on the Wheaties box” like the Avengers, the Thunderbolts are “a completely new species of hero,” Harbour said. “We don’t exist yet in the MCU. I think we’re a new evolution of something. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it’s unique.”

Stan, however, likened the anti-Avengers to another group: the brat pack of the 1985 John Hughes classic The Breakfast Club.

“I think this movie is very singular and will stand on its own,” the Oscar-nominated actor recently told Entertainment Tonight. “I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to. It’s its own thing. I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.”

Thunderbolts* is produced by Kevin Feige (The Fantastic Four: First Steps) with Louis D’Esposito (Captain America: Brave New World), Brian Chapek (Thor: Love and Thunder), Jason Tamez (WandaVision), and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) serving as executive producers. Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) wrote the script, which also credits Lee Sung Jin (Beef) and Joanna Calo (The Bear). Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is in theaters May 2.

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There’s a reason you don’t see ads for many smaller movies during the Super Bowl every year. In 2023, a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl cost $7 million, meaning a sixty second spot would cost double. That’s enough to stretch a marketing budget to its very limits, so the studio has to be pretty confident in the product’s potential success. Typically the same release window of movies are showcased during the Super Bowl; specifically, movies that were set to be released throughout the summer, with last year being no different. The Fall Guy, IF and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes were some of the film’s feature, all of which premiered in May; while June’s Inside Out 2 got an ad. The final cut off for a Super Bowl movie trailer appears to be July, as was the case for the Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4 and Twisters last year. No films that premiered in August, September, or October were advertised during 2024’s Super Bowl.

That said, every now and then there’s a bit of a curveball tossed in, typically for a movie that’s set to be released about a month or a month-and-a-half after the game. Last year it was the April release Monkey Man. It’s just as rare to see a trailer for a movie set for release in the final quarter of the year. If one is seen, it’s going to be a teaser, like last year for Wicked. Will outliers like those be present this year? We’ll see when Super Bowl LIX airs Sunday, February 9.

Expect These Summer Blockbusters

[RELATED: The Top Theories About That Title Asterisk in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*]

Just as each year brings new MCU adventures, each Super Bowl brings at least one trailer for those adventures. This year the most likely candidate is Captain America: Brave New World. The Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford-led blockbuster opens five days after the game airs, and it’s been receiving some solid tracking as of late, which Disney will be certain to capitalize on. Another big possibility is Thunderbolts*, which like Brave New World, has a trailer out there, but it could certainly still benefit from a Super Bowl LIX ad.

Another Disney project that is more than likely to get a teaser or trailer during the game is Snow White. Like Captain America: Brave New World, which faced some early negative rumors about poor test screenings and reshoot woes (in addition to recent controversies), Snow White has faced some pre-release criticism. It’s a film that could use a solid Super Bowl spot, as the trailer that debuted in December produced shrugs more than cheers. There’s another “live action” remake of an animated Disney classic, Lilo & Stitch. That one has a cute teaser trailer online, but the Super Bowl could be the perfect place to debut a 2-minute trailer.

Another movie that has received a trailer already but is nonetheless likely to show off a mixture of new and already-seen footage during the big game is Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. After the commercial failure of 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Paramount is likely a little nervous about history repeating itself with the final film. But for one, Dead Reckoning was facing off against Barbie and Oppenheimer. Two, it’s an excellent film and its reputation suggests as much. Despite Dead Reckoning being a financial disappointment, Final Reckoning still has a chance to thrive, and it’s practically a shoo-in to receive at least a teaser trailer during the game.

If there’s one 2025 movie that has debuted neither a teaser nor a full trailer and is likely to do so during Super Bowl LIX, it’s Jurassic World Rebirth. With a July release date, it’s pretty much at the cap of what Super Bowl shows off in terms of movie advertising, but that’s a cap that’s often explored (e.g. the aforementioned Deadpool & Wolverine). A new report from Deadline indicates that not only is Universal planning to offer a first look at Jurassic World Rebirth during the game, but that they’ll also debut a new trailer for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (out June 13).

Potential Longshot Predictions

Outside the above image and some other spoiler-free promotional artwork, there’s been no marketing for Fantastic Four: First Steps. On one hand, the Super Bowl would be a perfect time to debut a 30-second spot, but on the other it still seems less likely than Captain America: Brave New World or Thunderbolts*. It’s doubtful Disney would splurge on three MCU ads, and a report from the above trade notes they’ll only advertise two of their three upcoming movies. Could Fantastic Four sneak into that spot since Captain America: Brave New World is already on a marketing blitz? Time will tell.

Disney’s Tron: Ares is another longshot. With an October release date, it’s a little out of range for the Super Bowl’s typical movie advertising timeframe. But, given the fact Tron: Legacy underperformed back in 2010, it stands to reason Disney is eager to get some positive early word-of-mouth going, and an impressive Super Bowl spot would be a great way to do so.

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Recent Reddit discussions have highlighted growing frustration with the MCU’s treatment of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, particularly following his reduced role since the events of Captain America: Civil War. The character, who made his debut in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger before becoming a central figure in both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, has seen significantly diminished screen time and character development in recent years, being often used as a ladder for other heroes personal journey. This conversation has intensified as Stan prepares to return in Thunderbolts*, where he’ll join an ensemble cast including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Red Guardian.

Bucky’s journey from Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) best friend to brainwashed HYDRA agent to recovering hero made him one of the MCU’s most complex characters. In The Winter Soldier, the revelation that the feared assassin was actually Steve’s presumed-dead friend created one of the franchise’s most compelling narratives, with Stan’s performance bringing depth to both the cold-blooded killer and the traumatized man beneath. The film’s exploration of Bucky’s psychological conditioning and Steve’s desperate attempts to reach him resonated strongly with audiences, leading to high expectations for his future development.

[RELATED: Will Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Revamp Taskmaster After Black Widow Criticisms?]

These expectations seemed validated by Civil War, where Bucky’s struggle with his past actions and the question of his culpability while under HYDRA’s control drove the central conflict between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. The film delved deep into themes of guilt, redemption, and loyalty, with Bucky’s character serving as more than just a plot device. “Bucky was one of my favorite characters in Winter Soldier and Civil War. I loved the physicality of his fighting style and his entire appearance,” wrote Reddit user catshirtgoalie, who went on to express disappointment with the character’s treatment. The consensus is that Infinity War and Endgame wasted Bucky, whose role was reduced to brief appearances and background shots.

Despite The Falcon and the Winter Soldier attempting to address this decline by pairing Bucky with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), many fans feel the series shortchanged his character development. While some viewers, like Reddit user EasternFudge, praise the show for “building up both Bucky and Sam and their dynamic,” others argue it primarily served to establish Sam as Captain America while relegating Bucky to a supporting role. The series touched on Bucky’s attempts to make amends for his past actions but never fully explored the depths of his trauma or his potential beyond being Steve Rogers’ former sidekick. As Reddit user BigB-llsMcGirk noted, “Sebastian Stan as Bucky is one of the best castings and performances in MCU… Dude needs a headline movie.”

Thunderbolts* Has the Potential to Fix Bucky in the MCU

Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thunderbolts* represents a radical departure from traditional superhero team-ups, assembling a group of morally ambiguous characters for what director Jake Schreier describes as a character-driven story. The film brings together a unique roster under the supervision of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s manipulative CIA operative, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Recent trailers have revealed that the team will be brought together at a mysterious facility, with the addition of Lewis Pullman as “Bob,” reportedly a version of the mentally unstable superhero known as The Sentry.

The film’s potential for Bucky’s character development seems promising, with Sebastian Stan recently comparing the team dynamics to The Breakfast Club.

“I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to, it’s its own thing,” Stan explained. “I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.” This focus on character interaction and group dynamics could provide the perfect platform for exploring Bucky’s complexity beyond his connection to Captain America.

However, some fans remain skeptical about Bucky’s role in the film. Reddit user silverBruise_32 voiced concern that he might once again serve primarily as support for other characters, “In Thunderbolts*, it’s going to be Yelena and Ghost. Why would they change what works?” While the concerns are understandable, there are also reasons to remain optimistic. Recent cryptic comments from the cast about the film’s mysterious asterisk, with David Harbour saying that “things may not be what they seem to be,” indicate the movie could surprise fans. This tease, combined with Stan’s own comment at Tokyo Comic-Con—”Not Captain America…yet”—while holding Cap’s shield, suggests Thunderbolts* might have bigger plans for Bucky than fans expect.

Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2nd.

The post Marvel Fans Agree That This Character Has Been Wasted by the MCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In May 2025, the baddies and anti-heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally get to step into the spotlight with Thunderbolts*. A bevy of morally-gray figures like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/The Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan), and John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), will team up to form a team known as the Thunderbolts. What will happen in this solo movie (and the significance of that pesky asterisk) is still shrouded in mystery. However, Thunderbolts* will clearly give audiences a chance to better understand some of the murkier figures populating a world of Spider-Man’s and Captain America’s.

Given that this is a Marvel Cinematic Universe project, there’s no chance the Thunderbolts* cast list reveals all of the superpowered figures and familiar faces that will appear in this movie’s runtime. This project will inevitably feature other baddies from past Marvel Cinematic Universe productions, which could lead to some mighty enticing cameos.

Five MCU foes from the past seem like they’d be perfect fits for Thunderbolts. Who knows if they’ll even get name-dropped, let alone physically appear, – but it’s fun to imagine them rubbing shoulders with the likes of Yelena.

Justin Hammer

In his final minutes of Iron Man 2 screentime, the nefarious tech whiz Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) proclaims that the film’s lead characters haven’t seen the last of him. He may be down, but he’s certainly not out. Despite the conviction in his voice, Hammer hasn’t lived up to this word. Save for an uncomfortable cameo in the short film All Hail the King or showing up in one What If…? episode, Hammer’s been entirely absent from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

All these years later, a movie about Marvel villains could be an optimal time to see Hammer again, especially the Thunderbolts* need weapons for a specific mission. Plus, it’d be amusing to see such a grounded non-superpower guy deal with these heightened baddies.

Baron Helmut Zemo

Baron Helmut Zemo already returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his Captain America: Civil War debut with a lengthy guest stint on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Thunderbolts* could be fertile ground for another Zemo appearance, especially since he really is the cream of the crop among MCU villains. After all, he broke up The Avengers and he didn’t need a super-suit or special serum to do it! Now that Zemo’s officially a recurring MCU fixture, he really needs to return for Thunderbolts*.

[Related: 10 Years Ago, Marvel Teased A Very Different Kind of Ant-Man Movie (Watch)]

Mac Gargan/The Scorpion

No Marvel hero has quite the iconic gallery of villains as Spider-Man. It’d be a shame to do a movie about Marvel adversaries like Thunderbolts* without featuring one of this web-crawler’s foes. One exciting candidate for such a cameo would be Mac Gargan/The Scorpion, who appeared as a normal criminal in Spider-Man: Homecoming explicitly teasing that he’s hankering for some revenge against Spider-Man. Putting him in the Scorpion outfit even for one Thunderbolts* action sequence could provide some enthralling entertainment. Plus, it’s always been awkward that this Scorpion tease has never been properly fulfilled in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Emil Blonsky/The Abomination

Across She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it’s clear The Incredible Hulk villain Emil Blonsky/The Abomination has reformed quite a bit thanks to an unexpected friendship with sorcerer Wong. However, who’s to say this monstrous fellow can’t relapse back into his nefarious ways, even if it’s just for one Marvel Studios movie? Thunderbolts* would be a sublime place to see The Abomination back in malicious mode. Plus, it’d be thrilling to see one of the earliest Marvel Cinematic Universe villains return for Phase Five’s swan song.

Trevor Slattery

True, Trevor Slattery was never a Thanos/Ultron/Loki-level threat to any Marvel heroes. However, he still collaborated with Aldrich Killian for deeply personal means and (however unintentionally) used the deaths of innocents to give himself a steady acting gig. Slattery was certainly connected to evil in his Iron Man 3 screentime before Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings showed a lighter, more courageous side to the man. Having him reappear in Thunderbolts* could provide a symbol of hope to the members of this titular team secretly hoping for redemption. Slattery shows it is possible to be more than just your past villainous deeds. Also, his potential Thunderbolts* screentime would let Ben Kingsley once again steal scenes with his delightful Slattery performance – and provide a nice MCU connection to his upcoming role in the Wonder Man Disney+ series.

Thunderbolts* arrives in movie theaters everywhere on May 2, 2025

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Marvel Studios’ upcoming antihero team-up Thunderbolts* has drawn many comparisons since its announcement, including Suicide Squad and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, Thunderbolts* star Sebastian Stan offered an unexpected parallel during Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, comparing the dysfunctional superhero ensemble to John Hughes’ beloved teen drama The Breakfast Club. While this might seem like an odd comparison at first glance, Stan’s explanation actually provides new insights into the dynamics we can expect from this unique addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the Golden Globes red carpet, Stan elaborated on what makes Thunderbolts* stand apart from other Marvel team-ups. “I think this movie is very singular and will stand on its own,” Stan explained. “I know these are bold words, but there’s no other Marvel group that you can kind of compare us to, it’s its own thing. I like The Breakfast Club, that’s the best way of describing it. A pair of misfits that hopefully don’t kill each other.”

[RELATED: Thunderbolts Cast Teases Where We Meet Their Characters]

Stan’s comparison to the 1985 classic makes perfect sense when considering the Thunderbolts* lineup. Like The Breakfast Club‘s detention-bound teenagers, the MCU’s new superteam brings together a group of outcasts forced to work together despite their differences. The team includes Stan’s Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent, and other morally ambiguous characters who, much like Hughes’ memorable teens, must overcome their initial animosity to work together.

The comparison to The Breakfast Club suggests that Thunderbolts* will focus heavily on character dynamics and interpersonal conflict rather than just action setpieces. Just as The Breakfast Club‘s disparate teenagers found common ground and understanding, these antiheroes might discover unexpected connections despite their troubled histories. This character-driven approach could help Thunderbolts* stand out in Marvel Studios’ surprisingly crowded 2025 calendar.

What We Know About Thunderbolts*‘ Story

While we don’t know much of the Thunderbolts* story, the movie’s trailer revealed the team will come together after being lured to a mysterious facility. In addition to the villains and antiheroes from previous MCU projects, Thunderbolts* introduces Bob (Lewis Pullman), who appears to be the mentally broken superhero known as The Sentry, one of Marvel’s most powerful and unstable characters. The facility seems designed to contain him, though his exact role remains unclear.

Thunderbolts* also features Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus),  the manipulative CIA operative with a pattern of recruiting morally ambiguous people to do her dirty bidding. So far, Valentina’s agenda has remained a secret, even though the character has appeared in multiple projects, including Black Window and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, given that the Thunderbolts* trailer already revealed she had acquired the Avengers Tower for herself, the movie will probably shed some light on the character’s endgame.

Finally, Marvel Studios has been deliberately cryptic about the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title, with Kevin Feige teasing that its meaning will become clear by the film’s end. Some fans think the asterisk means the Thunderbolts might become a different superteam, such as the Dark Avengers. Or maybe they will all be dead by the time the credits roll.

Thunderbolts* is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 2, 2025, marking the final film of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Marvel fans are ringing in the New Year by wishing Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh a happy birthday. Pugh plays Yelena Belova, the sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yelena debuted in 2021’s Black Widow and had a guest appearance in the Disney+ series Hawkeye, but will soon take on a larger role in this year’s Thunderbolts*. With Black Widow gone, it’s up to her sister the White Widow to carry on the good fight of redeemed Red Room operatives. While we wait for the Thunderbolts* debut in May, we can start January by celebrating Florence Pugh’s birthday.

Florence Pugh fans have taken to social media to wish the actress a happy 29th birthday. She was born on January 3, 1996, and is one year away from reaching the big 3-0. Before we focus on that milestone, we should appreciate all that Pugh has accomplished in her time in Hollywood. Her breakout performances came in Midsommar, but she had already gained a following from projects such as Lady Macbeth and Fighting with My Family. Of course, it wasn’t until she joined the MCU that a larger segment of the population started to appreciate Pugh’s many talents. She brought intensity and humor to the role of Yelena Belova, and Thunderbolts* will be the first MCU feature with her as the main star.

[RELATED: Sebastian Stan’s New Marvel Comments Have Fans Wondering About His MCU Future]

Many of the dedications to Florence Pugh on her birthday include photos of her from the movies. “Happy 29th birthday to Florence Pugh!” a post from Film Updates on X (formerly Twitter) reads. The post includes images from Pugh’s various projects such as Midsommar, Don’t Worry Darling, Dune: Part Two, and the upcoming Thunderbolts*. ScreenTime went with images from Black Widow, Dune: Part Two, and Oppenheimer.

Screen Rant posed the question of what is your favorite role that Florence Pugh has performed. Yelena Belova got many responses, with some fans stating she is brilliant in anything she acts in. A special shoutout went out to Pugh as Cordelia in 2018’s King Lear and her role as the wrestler Paige (Saraya) in Fighting with My Family.

Florence Pugh was the first actor to share footage from the Thunderbolts* set back in March. In her Instagram video, Pugh walked across the film’s production and introduced some of the film’s crew. Next, she introduced viewers to Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier, who was in front of monitors showing a scene of Yelena. The whole time, Pugh jokes about not being able to say the name of the project she and Schreier are working on, even though Thunderbolts is clearly on the director’s chairs. The official Marvel Studios social media even shared Pugh’s video, indicating that the video will not go the way of some other MCU stars’ accidental leaks.

What is the asterisk for in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*?

Fans have been wondering what the asterisk stands for in the Thunderbolts* title. David Harbour recently dropped some clues about the asterisk meaning after the release of a new Thunderbolts* trailer at D23 Expo Brazil. 

Omelet spoke to David Harbour at D23 Expo Brazil about Thunderbolts*, where the Red Guardian actor opened up about the meaning behind the asterisk. “I think it relates to the whole movie,” he said. Harbour then related a story about how people will go on social media to correct misspellings while using an asterisk to point out the error. “Things may not be what they seem to be,” he teased.

Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris
Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The movie premieres May 2, 2025.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a wealth of options to choose from when it comes to future spinoffs. Agatha All Along‘s triumphant reception in 2024 simultaneously capitalized on WandaVision‘s success and chronicled a compelling standalone narrative by spotlighting Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness. The aforementioned Disney+ show demonstrated how a spinoff centered on a previously sidelined character can work wonders for their development, and even result in more spinoffs. There are numerous other MCU supporting characters that could enormously benefit from a solo movie or series. Heroes, anti-heroes, villains, and cosmic beings lie in every corner of the franchise, and five of those second-tier characters rank among the best prospects for their own spinoff.

Valkyrie

Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie made her MCU debut in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Since then, she has appeared in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, and 2023’s The Marvels (in a brief cameo). Valkyrie’s rise from a lowly scrapper on Sakaar to the king of New Asgard remains one of the MCU’s more intriguing supporting character arcs.

Valkyrie has only ever been featured on the sidelines, but Thompson’s ability to exude the emotional weight of the character’s trauma from losing her sisters and lover in battle, and partake in the quintessential humor of Taika Waititi’s Thor movies makes her an ideal candidate for a solo spinoff. Additionally, Valkyrie’s axed romantic subplot in Thor: Love and Thunder leaves a promise to be fulfilled in a future project.

Rio Vidal/Death

Agatha All Along introduced an array of entrancing witches to complement the show’s main character, and none were more compelling than Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal – aka Death. The original Green Witch, as well as Agatha’s ex-lover, Rio maintains an arc unlike any other MCU character. Even though Death primarily features as a side character in Marvel comics, she would thrive as a lead character in the MCU — much like Hahn’s Agatha did. One of Agatha All Along‘s few flaws was Agatha and Rio’s unexplored backstory and a lack of insight into their life as a couple. Accordingly, a Rio-centric spinoff could resolve that shortcoming by addressing how the personification of death fell in love with a mortal witch, how their dynamic of killing and collecting souls worked in practice, and if they actually raised Agatha’s son together like many fans have theorized.

Plaza has proven an impeccable fit for the role of Death, as her off-the-charts chemistry with Hahn and her knack for intertwining Rio’s whimsical banter with earnest emotions tied to her history with Agatha. Death’s existence as a cosmic force since the beginning of time paves the way for any number of possible storylines on which to base a spinoff. WandaVision and Agatha All Along have cemented Jac Schaeffer’s magical MCU realm as a gold mine for fan fervor and critical acclaim, so the franchise should seek to profit even more by crafting a spinoff around Plaza’s character.

Yelena Belova

Florence Pugh debuted as Yelena Belova, the younger adopted sister of the late Natasha Romanoff, in 2021’s Black Widow. The former Red Room assassin subsequently featured in the Disney+ series Hawkeye alongside Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop and Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton. Yelena’s traumatic past as a brainwashed child assassin, combined with her grief over losing Natasha during The Blip, has established her as one of the MCU’s most tragic characters. At the same time, Yelena’s prowess in physical combat and sarcastic style of humor add to her complexity and make her a joy to watch onscreen. The chance to have an actor as talented as the Oscar-nominated Pugh portray a recurring character shouldn’t be lost on Marvel, as the performer’s impressive range enables her to alternate between landing jokes and filling the audience’s eyes with tears.

Yelena will serve as the foremost character in Thunderbolts*, however, the upcoming film isn’t a true spinoff given that Pugh’s Yelena belongs to an ensemble also made up of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, and Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster. Thunderbolts* releases in May 2025, so Yelena’s MCU future remains unknown at this time. Still, there could be an opportunity to follow the character in a spinoff that’s not a team-up project.

Okoye

Danai Gurira’s Okoye was once rumored to lead her own spinoff series, but it appears that project has failed to materialize. A loyal and formidable warrior formerly of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje and currently of the Midnight Angels, Okoye appeared in 2018’s Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Okoye’s next chapter with the Dora Milaje following her painful resignation from the group would function perfectly as the focal point for a spinoff. Gurira will return to voice Okoye in the upcoming Eyes of Wakanda animated miniseries, but merely as a supporting character.

An Okoye spinoff would additionally provide an opportunity to bring back and further flesh out characters like Michaela Coel’s Aneka and Florence Kasumba’s Ayo, as well as to introduce more members of Wakanda’s elite soldiers. Gurira has admirably embodied Okoye’s grief, vulnerability, and strength in the MCU for years, and Marvel would be wise to make her the lead of a future project. Okoye’s solo story could also serve as a great setup for the upcoming Black Panther 3.

Bruce Banner/Hulk

Mark Ruffalo took over the role of Bruce Banner aka the Hulk in 2012’s The Avengers, replacing Edward Norton — who starred in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. While Norton’s movie means that the MCU technically already has a Hulk solo project, Ruffalo’s version of Banner should lead his own. After more than a decade of portraying the MCU’s Hulk across nine live-action projects, Ruffalo is due for a spinoff, which could also include any number of MCU characters. given Banner’s vast web of connections as a superpowered Avenger.

You can stream MCU content on Disney+

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Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier has been hanging around the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a century as a soldier, an assassin, and a hero – but actor Sebastian Stan is teasing (or joking?) that some big changes could be on the way for Bucky. Stan made an appearance at Tokyo Comic-Con, where he lifted a prop of Captain America’s shield and made a bold proclamation: “Not Captain America…yet.”

Will Bucky Barnes Also Become Captain America?

Those are ominous words for Sebastian Stan to be saying – whether jokingly or not. His Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star Anthony Mackie is about to carry the mantle of Captain America in his first solo film, Captain America: Brave New World. That film will (in part) confront the issue of whether or not Sam Wilson (Mackie) can carry the mantle of Captain America in a complicated modern world. There’s also the question of whether or not Sam will want to be Cap, after learning some of the deeper, darker, secrets of geopolitics, and the legacy of Captain America and the Super Soldier Serum.

Then there’s the government factor. Brave New World has made it clear that Sam Wilson will be auditioning to be the official version of Captain America sanctioned by the US government – an audition that obviously hits the wall by the time President Ross (Harrison Ford) becomes Red Hulk. Following the release of Captain America: Brave New World we will get Thunderbolts*, the next chapter of Bucky Barnes’ story in the MCU. The Thunderbolts squad will be run by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and there are theories that the film’s asterisk title is a teaser for a bigger reveal that this team will be Valentina’s government-controlled Avengers squad. That “Avengers” team would need a Captain America – and Bucky might end up competing with John Walker / US Agent (Wyatt Russell) for that title. A fight between Bucky and Walker would be an epic and unexpected way to end Thunderbolts* and would set Bucky on a collision course with his buddy Sam, in a clash of shields. That’s the kind of interconnected storytelling with dramatic stakes that MCU fans want to get back to – a story arc that makes two films and a streaming show worth the investment.

Marvel Studios is also sitting on the ultimate fan-service parachute, thanks to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars event films. A version of Bucky who became Captain America is one of many multiverse variants that could show up either in the reality where Robert Downey Jr. reigned as Doctor Doom, or in the final Multiverse Saga showdown in Secret Wars. A scene of Sam, Bucky, and Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers all wielding Cap shields together would be one of those ‘stand up and cheer’ moments fans crave.

Thunderbolts* stars Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as “Bob.” The film is directed by Jake Schreier, from a script by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo. It has a release date of May 5, 2025.

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David Harbour is dropping more clues on what the asterik might mean in the Thunderbolts* title. Fans got a new look at the upcoming Marvel movie with a new trailer for Thunderbolts* at D23 Expo Brazil. What some segment of fans may not have paid attention to is that there’s an asterik at the end of the Thunderbolts* title. It’s not an accident and there’s a reason for it being there, but for now Marvel is staying silent on what it means. Luckily we have Stranger Things star David Harbour to help us out in interviews by speaking on the mysterious Thunderbolts asterik.

Omelet spoke to David Harbour at D23 Expo Brazil about Thunderbolts*, where the Red Guardian actor opened up about the meaning behind the asterik. “I think it relates to the whole movie,” he said. Harbour then related a story about how people will go on social media to correct misspellings while using an asterik to point out the error. “Things may not be what they seem to be,” he teased.

Are the Thunderbolts really the Dark Avengers?

The big theory floating around is the end of Thunderbolts* will reveal that their name isn’t Thunderbolts at all, and they are secretly the Dark Avengers. Marvel published a Dark Avengers series during its Dark Reign publishing initiative that spun out of Secret Invasion. After Norman Osborn became the public face of the hero initiative to stop the invasion of Skrulls on Earth, Norman was put in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. and renamed it H.A.M.M.E.R.

[RELATED: Who Are the Thunderbolts* in the MCU? Explaining the Marvel Team]

One of Norman’s next move was to form his own team of Avengers, but instead of picking heroes to stand beside him, he dressed villains up as your favorite members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Among those chosen were Daken as Wolverine, Mac Gargan’s Venom as Spider-Man, Moonstone as Ms. Marvel, Noh-Varr as Captain Marvel, Bullseye as Hawkeye, Sentry, and Norman Osborn as Iron Patriot.

With no official Avengers team operating in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that leaves an opening that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine may be looking to exploit. The Thunderbolts* trailer revealed Valentina is the new owner of Avengers Tower, so she’s already making herself at home.

Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris
Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The movie premieres May 2, 2025.

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Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been asking, theorizing, and dreaming about the future of Avengers Tower for years now. Once the iconic building in New York City no longer belonged to Tony Stark, there were a ton of ideas floating around in regards to who it might belong to. Reed Richards was maybe the post popular option amongst fans, but the likes of Victor Von Doom, Norman Osborne, and several others had been brought up on numerous occasions. This weekend, Marvel Studios put those theories to rest by revealing the surprising new owner of Avengers Tower.

The building was purchased by none other than Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is played in the MCU by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Valentina has been something of a fixture in the MCU over the last few years, slowly putting together the team at the center of the upcoming film, Thunderbolts*.

In fact, it was in a sneak peek for Thunderbolts* that Marvel revealed the news about the purchase of Avengers Tower. The studio revealed three minutes of footage from the film at D23 Brazil over the weekend, and that new sneak peek includes a scene inside Avengers Tower. Valentina pours a drink in the same place Tony Stark once did, overlooking the city, and speaking to the band of misfits she put together for a secret mission.

“How crazy is it to think of all the monumental fights that happened exactly here where you’re standing,” Valentina tells the group. “I mean, the place wasn’t cheap, but it’s got good optics.”

Whether through her own money, or with some sort of shell company being used to fund the Thunderbolts, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the owner of Avengers Tower. And her comment pulls back the curtain just a bit on some of the potentially villainous intentions many fans have assumed she has. Even if she’s not an outright, “I want to kill everyone and/or rule the world” kind of villain, she’s someone we know isn’t exactly out for the greater good.

[RELATED: What Star Wars Needs to Learn from Simon Kinberg’s X-Men Failures]

Buying Avengers Tower is an “optics” move for Valentina, which means she needs some sway with the public to either mask or make up for some of the more nefarious things she’s doing. If she uses the tower as a base of operations for her new team, it might give people some hope that they are on par with the Avengers, both when it comes to talent and intentions. People are probably willing to trust a super-team operating out of the same place Iron Man and Captain America once saved the world.

What we don’t yet know is whether or not Valentina is the first owner of Avengers Tower since Tony Stark, or if the property has changed hands more than once. It also wouldn’t be super surprising to see someone else purchase it at some point down the line.

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Careful who you assemble. “There are good guys, and you’re bad guys,” CIA Director Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) tells the team of misfits in Marvel Studios Thunderbolts*. “But there are worse guys.” Disney’s D23 Brazil revealed a special look at the next MCU movie after Captain America: Brave New World, and introduced the Thunderbolts* (asterisk included): Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman).

“Everyone here has done bad things: shadow ops, robbing government labs, contract kills,” Yelena says of the team of assassins, anti-heroes, and reformed supervillains. “So someone wants us gone.”

The Thunderbolts in the Comics: Justice, Like Lightning…

RELATED: Marvel’s Thunderbolts Comics Featuring Black Widow and Winter Soldier Strike in 2025

In the comics, the Thunderbolts were formed by Baron Helmut Zemo as an incarnation of the Masters of Evil in the absence of the Avengers. Secretly a team of supervillains posing as superheroes, the original Thunderbolts lineup — Citizen V (Zemo), Techno (Fixer), Atlas (Goliath), MACH-1 (Beetle), Meteorite (Moonstone), Screaming Mimi (Songbird), and Jolt — eventually embraced true heroism and sought redemption, turning on Zemo when the villain revealed his true motives.

When the Thunderbolts roster became outlaws, they were joined by reformed criminal-turned-Avenger Clint Barton/Hawkeye, and in the years since, the various iterations of the team have been led by heroes and villains alike. Bucky, Yelena, and Luke Cage have all led the more heroic versions of the Thunderbolts, while villains like Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin, and Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, have established Thunderbolts teams to carry out their dark reigns over the Marvel Universe. Even General “Thunderbolt” Ross, A.K.A. the Red Hulk, has led an ultra-lethal Thunderbolts team consisting of Venom, Elektra, the Punisher, and Deadpool.

Most recently, Mayor Cage reformed the Thunderbolts with Hawkeye leading a team that includes Monica Rambeau/Photon, America Chavez, and the new Power Man.

Who Are the MCU Thunderbolts*?

Yelena Belova: Black Widow

A former Red Room assassin and undercover operative who was trained to kill alongside her adoptive sister — the Avenger Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) — Yelena and Natasha were raised by Alexei and Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz). After the family of four reunited to thwart the Soviet General Dreykov (Ray Winstone) and wake the Black Widows brainwashed by the Red Room Academy in 2021’s Black Widow (set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War), Yelena died when Thanos (Josh Brolin) erased half of the population in the universe with a snap of his fingers.

Yelena was blipped back to life five years later and learned that Natasha died (during the events of Avengers: Endgame). In Black Widow‘s post-credits scene, Val assigned Yelena her next target: the man she believed was responsible for her sister’s death, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).

When she sought her revenge in 2021’s Hawkeye series, Yelena learned she was hired by Bishop Security CEO Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga) to assassinate Barton on behalf of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Yelena tried to kill Barton, but when he convinced her that sister sacrificed herself and died saving the world, she mourned Natasha and then let go of her vendetta against the still-grieving Hawkeye.

Appearances: Black Widow (2021), Hawkeye (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025)

James “Bucky” Barnes: The Winter Soldier

A sergeant in the United States Army, Bucky Barnes served alongside Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), the first Captain America, in World War II. Once thought KIA behind enemy lines (in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger), Barnes was captured by HYDRA and injected with the Super Soldier Serum. For the next five decades, a mind-wiped and brainwashed Barnes operated as the HYDRA assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

After Rogers and his allies, Natasha Romanoff and the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), learned that HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., they foiled Secretary Alexander Pierce’s (Robert Redford) plot to enact Project Insight (in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and murder 20 million people targeted by HYDRA. Rogers was able to stir Barnes’ memories, but a fugitive Barnes was framed for the bombing that killed Wakandan King T’Chaka (John Kani) in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. After the culprit was revealed to be the Sokovian terrorist Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) and brought to justice by the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Wakanda was able to remove the Winter Soldier programming from Barnes’ mind.

Barnes was snapped after the Battle of Wakanda (in Infinity War) and returned during the Battle of Earth (in Endgame). He received a pardon from the government and was making amends for his past as the Winter Soldier when Sam Wilson — who has chosen by Rogers to be the new Captain America — relinquished the star-spangled shield.

When the United States Department of Defense selected Army Captain John Walker as its government-backed Cap, Barnes and Wilson learned that a mysterious Power Broker was funding the recreation of the Super Soldier Serum that turned a since-retired Steve Rogers into Captain America in the 1940s. Barnes and Wilson reluctantly joined forces with Zemo to prevent the creation of more super soldiers like the increasingly reckless Walker Cap (in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier).

The last we saw him, Barnes helped Captain America (Wilson) and the disgraced U.S. Agent (Walker) battle the Flag Smashers when the anti-nationalist group planned to carry out a terrorist attack against the Global Repatriation Council in the aftermath of the Blip.

Appearances: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025)

Alexei Shostakov: Red Guardian

Russia’s answer to Captain America, Alexei Shostakov was the Soviet Union’s first and only super soldier. In the 1990s, Dreykov assigned Alexei and Melina Vostokoff to pose as a family with a young Natasha and Yelena as part of a plot to infiltrate the North Institute in Ohio, where HYDRA was secretly developing the Winter Soldier project.

After the Russian sleeper agents were eventually discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and forced to flee America, Dreykov sent Natasha and Yelena to train at the Red Room and had Alexei jailed at the Seventh Circle Prison in Russia. 21 years later, in 2016, Natasha and Yelena broke their adoptive father out of prison, and together, they tracked down Melina in Saint Petersburg, Russia. There Alexei reclaimed his Red Guardian uniform and later fought the Taskmaster — Dreykov’s daughter — when the four reunited to take down the Red Room for good. Alexei and Melina were last seen parting ways with Natasha on their mission to create more Red Dust, the synthetic gas capable of countering the chemical subjugation of the Black Widows.

Appearances: Black Widow (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025)

John Walker: U.S. Agent

A former Captain of the U.S. Army Rangers who earned three Medals of Honor for his tours in Afghanistan, Walker was named the new Captain America in 2024. Wielding the shield that Sam Wilson handed over to the Smithsonian, the government-approved Cap
was joined in the field by his longtime friend, Army Sergeant Major Lemar Hoskins (Clè Bennett), as Captain America’s partner, Battlestar.

Walker used the last of the recreated Super Soldier Serum to become enhanced after being defeated during a fight with Wakanda’s Dora Milaje. After Hoskins was KIA during a fight with Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and the Flag Smashers, Walker used the shield of Captain America to violently execute a Flag Smasher, sparking an international incident.

Stripped of his title and authority as Captain America, the disgraced Cap was given an other than honorable discharge. He was quickly intercepted by Val, who told him he was “very valuable to certain people,” and Walker melted down his medals to create a replica of Captain America’s shield. The vigilante Walker helped the Winter Soldier and the new Captain America defeat the Flag Smashers, then reported to Val for his next mission in a black costume. “Things are about to get weird. So when they do, we’re not gonna need a Captain America,” Val told him. “We’re gonna need a U.S. Agent.”

Appearances: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025)

Antonia Dreykov: Taskmaster

In 2008, Dreykov’s daughter was nearly killed by the bomb intended to assassinate her father during the Budapest Operation carried out by Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff in her defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. Dreykov implanted a controlling chip in Antonia’s neck and raised the girl in the Red Room following her disfigurement. A perfect mimic, she became the masked assassin Taskmaster: the Red Room’s deadliest killer.

Antonia’s photographic reflexes mean she’s able to match the fighting styles of Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Panther, and Spider-Man, which she utilizes alongside weapons like shields, knives, guns, and swords. In 2016, Taskmaster tried to kill Romanoff in revenge, but she was freed from her father’s control with the Red Dust. After learning her father died during Romanoff and Belova’s attack on the Red Doom, Antonia left with the other Black Widows.

Appearances: Black Widow (2021), Thunderbolts* (2025)

Ava Starr: Ghost

The daughter of a former S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist who researched the Quantum Realm with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne), young Ava Starr was left intangible from the fatal accident quantum experiment caused by Elihas Starr (Michael Cerveris). The accident gave Ava the powers of invisibility and quantum phase-shifting, or the power to shift between quantum dimensions and pass through objects.

S.H.I.E.L.D. built Ava a containment suit to help control her painful phasing and trained her to be a stealth operative, codenamed Ghost. “They weaponized me,” she told Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. “I stole for them. Spied for them. Killed for them. And in exchange for my soul, they were going to cure me. They lied.”

After the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2014, she sought out Foster’s help to cure her condition using the Quantum Energy Chamber he built to manage her molecular disequilibrium. Ava planned to intercept Pym’s Quantum Tunnel and drain Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) of the healing quantum energy she had absorbed during the decades she was lost in the Quantum Realm, but when the original Wasp returned, Janet used her powers to stabilize Ava and let her become tangible — saving her life. Ava then escaped with Foster.

Ghost’s DNA was among the superhuman DNA secretly harvested by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and used by the shape-shifting Skrulls to create the super-powered Super-Skrull in 2023’s Secret Invasion. The Skrulls G’iah (Emilia Clarke) and Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) were seen using Ghost’s phase-shifting and invisibility powers.

Appearances: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Thunderbolts* (2025)

Bob Reynolds: The Sentry

RELATED: Who Is Bob in Thunderbolts*? Marvel’s Sentry, Explained

Robert “Bob” Reynolds encounters Yelena, U.S. Agent, and Ghost in what appears to be the basement of the now Val-owned Avengers Tower. Little is known about the patient gown-clad Bob, but in the comics, he is the solar-powered superhero Sentry — the alter-ego of his true persona, the malevolent entity known as the Void. A product of “Project Sentry” — an attempt to recreate the super-soldier serum that transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America — Bob was a diagnosed schizophrenic with generalized anxiety disorder and agoraphobia who stole the Sentry serum to get high. He later joined Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts when the then-H.A.M.M.E.R. Director formed the Dark Avengers.

Appearances: Thunderbolts* (2025)

The official synopsis: “Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present Thunderbolts*, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.”

Produced by Kevin Feige (Deadpool & Wolverine), Jake Schreier (Paper Towns, Beef, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) directs from a script by Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow, The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Joanna Calo (The Bear), and Lee Sung Jin (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Beef).

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* strikes theaters on May 2, 2025, as part of Phase Five of the MCU.

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At D23 Brazil, Marvel Studios debuted a new sneak peek at next summer’s Thunderbolts*, and that preview has now been officially released online. The first part is an extended look at one of the film’s action set pieces, featuring Red Guardian, Yelena, John Walker, and Ghost fruitlessly attempting to evade an enemy convoy chasing them down a desert road. Fortunately for the group, Bucky Barnes swoops in to save the day, single-handedly eliminating the convoy. Unfortunately for the group, their celebration is short-lived since Bucky shoots an explosive device at Red Guardian’s car, neutralizing the team.

The video then transitions to what’s essentially a roll call, detailing the main members of the Thunderbolts* ensemble, also including Taskmaster and Bob. One of the most notable highlights is the team meeting with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine at Avengers Tower. Rather than spelling out the plot (other than the basic premise of a band of misfits coming together), the preview underscores the movie’s tone, alternating between action bits and comedic character interactions. Check it out in the space above.

Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* will be the last film released in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2025, just a few months after Captain America: Brave New World. Recently, Marvel has been revving up their marketing efforts for the film. After spotlighting Thunderbolts* at their San Diego Comic-Con panel in July, the movie’s first official trailer debuted in September, along with a poster that confused fans when they miscounted star Lewis Pullman’s fingers.

[Related: Why is There an Asterisk in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Title?]

As the final theatrical release for Phase 5, Thunderbolts* is expected to have a sizable impact on the Multiverse Saga. At Comic-Con, David Harbour, who reprises his Black Widow role of Red Guardian, teased that the movie “fundamentally changes” the MCU.

During the early stages of the Thunderbolts* promotional campaign, Marvel has fully embraced the parallels to the Avengers — going so far as to include a “careful who you assemble” tagline in the teaser trailer. That approach continues with this new look from D23, which relies heavily on the team aspect. It’s a sound strategy, particularly since previous MCU installments (the Avengers films in particular) thrived by mixing and matching distinct personalities. It seems like a lot of the fun in Thunderbolts* is going to stem from the dynamic between the characters. The preview features some humorous beats, such as when Ghost refers to John Walker as the “dime-store Captain America.”

So far, Thunderbolts* looks like it will be an entertaining, action-packed ride. As Marvel builds towards Avengers: Doomsday, they’ll be banking on their 2025 slate to continue the momentum re-established by Deadpool & Wolverine. With its prime summer movie season release date, Thunderbolts* will be under pressure to perform, especially if it has long-term ramifications on the franchise. While there’s still a lot of time before the movie opens, the early looks suggest it could be a crowd-pleaser. Marvel fans enjoy a good team-up, and this one boasts the return of beloved characters like Yelena and Bucky, which generates plenty of excitement.

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Sebastian Stan may be a household name in no small part due to his role as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but he almost was connected to a very different captain — Captain James T. Kirk. During a recent appearance on Happy Sad Confused, the Marvel star revealed that was “very close” to playing the iconic Star Trek role — and even did a William Shatner photoshoot to help his case by proving how much he looked like the character. The role ultimately went to Chris Pine.

“There were a couple of things I didn’t get that I really desperately wanted,” Stan said. “But Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams, that was one of the first I got very close to. I remember I was really, really close, and I remember I had a screen test with [Abrams] at Paramount and my manager had me do a separate photo shoot where I would try and replicate all these William Shatner pictures just to send to him, see how much I looked like him, but I didn’t get it.”

Stan also revealed that he screen tested for the role of Hal Jordan in 2011’s Green Lantern, though upon seeing who else was there testing for the role — including Ryan Reynolds, who ultimately landed it — Stan said he knew it wouldn’t be one he’d book. Stan didn’t have to wait long to land the role that would make him a household name, however. He was cast as Bucky Barnes in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and has played Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier across numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films and projects since, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and will reprise the role again for Thunderbolts* which is set to open in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Sebastian Stan Reveals the DC Villain He’d Like To Play

Even though Stan is coming back to Marvel for Thunderbolts*, it sounds like he’s not entirely opposed to going up for a DC role again in the future — he knows which villain he’d like to take on. Earlier this month, Stan said he’s “always had a soft spot” for The Riddler.

“I don’t know if Batman’s for me, but never say never,” Stan said. “I don’t know. There’s so many characters — I told you, I always had a soft spot for that Riddler, but that one’s been done.”

Sebastian Stan Returns as Bucky Barnes in Thunderbolts*

While the idea of Stan playing Captain Kirk and being part of the Star Trek franchise makes for an interesting idea — and we’d definitely love to see what the reality where that version of the franchise exists looks like — it’s hard to imagine anyone else as Bucky Barnes. It’s a character that he’s made his own over the years and it’s one that fans are eager to see again when Thunderbolts* arrives — roughly four years after we last saw him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And it isn’t just fans who have missed Stan in the MCU. Stan himself said he was glad to be back at work on Thunderbolts* when filming resumed earlier this year.

“I’m excited. I’m going to go back basically in a month or so. I’ve missed it. It’s a great cast,” Stan said at the time. “The batting average is so high that it’s difficult to always land everything right away. It’s always been a great experience. With this one in particular, I think there’s a lot of good things.”

Thunderbolts* is set to open in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has been getting a lot of comparisons to DC’s Suicide Squad movies – and not without good reason. Both films center around the idea of some less-than-heroic operatives being duped and/or coerced into carrying out a high-stakes mission by some shady government handler. In Thunderbolts*, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalent of Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and looking over the roster of characters featured in the film, it’s easy to assume that Valentina considers the Thunderbolts to be as expendable as Task Force X is to Waller. 

DC took two swings at doing Suicide Squad movies, with David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016) and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad (2021). Both films achieved moderate success, but neither version was the kind of universally loved box office win that Marvel Studios and Disney are hoping Thunderbolts* will be. 

Fair or not, Thunderbolts* will be getting compared to Suicide Squad before, during, and after its theatrical run. So what can Marvel Studios learn from the good, bad, and ugly experiences of DC’s Suicide Squad movies? 

1. Get to It Already – Both versions of DC’s Suicide Squad films take their sweet time even getting to the task at hand. Ayer’s film is infamous for the redundancies of its introduction and re-introduction of the principal characters; Gunn’s film had a very purposeful fake-out, with an entire team of faux protagonists slaughtered in the opening act. 

Marvel has a distinct advantage with Thunderbolts*: All of the characters on the team have already appeared in previous MCU projects. Although there will be a need to have some kind of re-introduction to the various characters (as a movie must), director Jake Schreier doesn’t have to waste much time bringing everyone together and getting them on a mission. 

2. Let. Them. Fight. – Due to the nature of Suicide Squad’s premise, there’s always a missed opportunity to see the various superpowered characters on the team going at it. There were scuffles, sure (like Peacemaker killing Rick Flag Jr.), but it took the footage of just one trailer for Thunderbolts* to showcase how very cool it is to see  Yelena/Black Widow II (Florence Pugh), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) all fighting one another while utilizing their respective powers and skill sets. With Marvel’s Superman, The Sentry (Lewis Pullman) also in the mix, the Thunderbolts’ in-fighting could be as epic as any comic book movie bass battle against some CGI monsters. 

3. Take Heavy Losses – The beauty of Thunderbolts* is that its roster of characters is either experienced MCU fan favorites (Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, Pugh’s Yelena), or characters that fans wanted brought back, expanded on, or redeemed in some way (Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster). 

However, neither of those types is essential to the future of the MCU franchise after Thunderbolts*; Stan and Pugh could understandably be exhausted by their time in the franchise, having seen their respective careers open up to more opportunities. US Agent (Russell), Ghost (John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Kurylenko), and Red Guardian (David Harbour) are all characters that are arguably lucky to even be getting roles in this Thunderbolts* film – they are far from guaranteed to have larger arcs in the franchise, afterward. 

That’s all to say: everyone in Thunderbolts* is expendable. Yet, some of those losses (Bucky and Yelena in particular) would be hard gut punches to the fans. Both of DC’s Suicide Squad arguably had characters fans were assured wouldn’t die (Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn) or characters no one cared about seeing go (El Diablo, Killer Croc, Slipknot, Captain Boomerang, Polka-Dot Man, etc.).  If Marvel truly wants to distinguish Thunderbolts* from Suicide Squad, then having major characters on the team actually die would be a great way to it. 

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has a release date of May 2, 2025. 

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* trailer has Marvel Cinematic Universe fans buzzing – and yet one of the biggest trending topics about the movie is its title. Eyebrows were raised when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige presented the official Thunderbolts* title logo with an asterisk at the end. Feige teased that the asterisk was very much intentional and that by the end of Thunderbolts* fans would understand all too well why it was necessary. 

Naturally, MCU fans have been dropping all kinds of theories about why Thunderbolts* is titled Thunderbolts*. Now that the trailer has dropped, there are two leading theories about why Thunderbolts* is playing with its title in this way. 

Why Marvel’s Thunderbolts Has an Asterisk in Its Title

It’s A SUICIDE SQUAD – There’s a lot of speculation that Thunderbolts* is actually Marvel Studios’ version of DC’s Suicide Squad. There’s precedent for it in the comics: Wilson Fisk/Kingpin once formed his own Thunderbolts squad and sent them on a high-risk mission to help defeat Knull, the symbiote god; from the look of the trailer, and past rumors, that could certainly be the case for this Thunderbolts* movie. 

The trailer footage seemed to make it clear that characters like Yelena/Black Widow II (Florence Pugh), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) are all lured to a facility that looks like a Saw-style death trap, and houses “Bob” (Lewis Pullman) who is also the mentally-broken superman known as The Sentry. Add other MCU espionage agents like Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and Thunderbolts* seems like it could turn out to be a major “cleaning” operation, where some of the MCU’s biggest spies and assassins all get clipped in one fell swoop, after carrying out some game-changing high-risk mission (like freeing The Sentry). 

By the time the movie is over, the Thunderbolts “team” may be down to just one or two survivors (if that). It would be a bold and shocking twist for an MCU film – the kind the franchise could use right about now. 

These Are The NEW AVENGERS – The other big theory is that Thunderbolts* is titled with an asterisk because “Thunderbolts” isn’t the actual title of the film! Based on Marvel Comics lore, many fans think that Marvel Studios will finally introduce the MCU version of “Dark Avengers.” 

After the comic book version of “Secret Invasion” took place, Norman Osborn exploited public distrust of heroes to rebrand his team of Thunderbolts as Avengers. Osborn used Starktech armor to become “Iron Patriot,” while villains took on hero mantles, like Bullseye becoming “Hawkeye” or Mac Gargan’s Venom posing as Spider-Man. These ‘Dark Avengers’ operated in the public eye, until the heroes were eventually able to rally and oust the villains from controlling the levers of society.

There’s speculation that the story of Thunderbolts* will turn out to be a twisted sort of recruitment test and team-bonding exercise. Even if some members of the team don’t survive, the ones who do will presumably be tapped to be part of a not-so-heroic Avengers team. While no one really expects Marvel Studios to ever use the title “Dark Avengers,” there is another way they can go… 

 It could turn out that the word “Thunderbolts” never appears in the actual film – that the movie will start without revealing any title card, and at the very end, we’ll see a title that reads “The Avengers,” “New Avengers,” or “Secret Avengers” in a major twist reveal. Maybe it will be a single-word flip, and Avengers* will become the final punchline of this title game. 

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has a release date of May 2, 2025. 

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What if I told you there’s a way that Marvel’s Thunderbolts* movie can connect the worlds of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and Netflix’s street-level heroes, also known as the DefendersVerse. Marvel Studios has had plenty of success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with other studios trying to replicate what works. After being in limbo, the list of Marvel heroes on Netflix – Daredevil and Punisher, for example – are being officially integrated into the MCU. Sony Pictures continues to build on its Spider-Man adjacent universe with Venom: The Last Dance, and even Deadpool is a part of the MCU following Deadpool & Wolverine. There is a lot riding on Thunderbolts*, but one thing it has the potential to do is connect all three of these worlds.

Thunderbolts* features a ragtag team of anti-heroes headlined by Yelena Belova and Winter Soldier. Numerous iterations of the Thunderbolts in the comics have operated outside the lines, hardly ever being considered traditional heroes like the Avengers. For example, their roots involve the villainous Baron Zemo gathering a group of bad guys and dressing them up as heroes. One era of Thunderbolts comics may have been overlooked by the general public, but it lays the groundwork for how characters from Thunderbolts*, Venom, and Deadpool could all work together on the big screen.

Red Hulk’s Thunderbolts, explained

Back in 2012, Marvel Comics debuted a new publishing initatived titled Marvel NOW! that saw all of its titles starting over with new #1 issues and creative teams. One of those titles was Thunderbolts by Daniel Way and Steve Dillon. Instead of being led by Baron Zemo or Norman Osborn, this Thunderbolts team was brought together by Red Hulk to function as a black ops team in a similar manner as X-Force. Red Hulk pulled out his gamma-radiated rolodex to recruit some heavy-hitters to the Thunderbolts: Deadpool, Punisher, Elektra, and Agent Venom (Flash Thompson).

Deadpool was a veteran of working on different X-Force teams, so he was an easy addition to the Thunderbolts. Venom may be seen as a full-fledged hero right now, but even when Flash Thompson was Agent Venom, the missions he underwent would leave you questioning if you really wanted to root for him. As for Punisher and Elektra, they definitely fell under the “morally grey” category. Under Red Hulk’s leadership, the Thunderbolts hit hard and left bodies in their wake, including Hulk nemesis Leader. Samuel Sterns would eventually join the team as Red Leader, with Ghost Rider also coming onboard before the team disbanded.

Since the Thunderbolts were led by Red Hulk, they took on his crimson color scheme. Deadpool and Elektra already wore red, but Agent Venom and Punisher switched out their white for red, making for a stylish upgrade if we do say so ourselves. As you can imagine, there was some tremendous friction on the Thunderbolts, mostly caused by Red Hulk’s machinations. While a romantic relationship formed between Punisher and Elektra, Punisher ultimately turned on the team when he quit and then was the subject of an assassination attempt that he thought was orchestrated by Red Hulk.

Future Thunderbolts* teams can include Deadpool, Venom, Punisher, and Elektra

If Thunderbolts* is a success, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see Marvel Studios greenlighting a sequel. Though we may need an answer as to what the asterik in Thunderbolts* stands for first. In any case, we can cross our fingers and hope there’s a way for the superhero universes from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to crossover in a legitimate way. This means Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to appear in a movie next to Tom Hardy’s Venom, or for Venom to run into Anthony Mackie’s Captain America. If these types of meetings eventually take place, then we’re one step closer to Red Hulk’s Thunderbolts moving from the comics to the big and small screens.

Just imagine if we got a Thunderbolts movie starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Harrison Ford as Red Hulk, Elodie Yung reprising her Daredevil role as Elektra, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher? A movie sporting this type of A-list talent could help audiences forget about the Avengers. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have other franchises to help grow the MCU, just like the breakout hit that was the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. 

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, the ball is in your court.

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One of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe will soon be introduced into the MCU courtesy of Thunderbolts*, but he might look a bit…unassuming at first glance. Those who have watched the premiere trailer for Thunderbolts will likely recall meeting a man named Bob, and he quickly makes an impression due to how out of place he is in the chaotic proceedings. What lies behind that facade however is someone torn between two parts of himself fighting for control, and both The Sentry and The Void are true forces of nature. We’re diving into the truth about Bob and who he really is, and no, it’s not that he has six fingers (because he actually only has five after all).

Who Is Bob Really?

Bob is actually a man named Robert Reynolds, and Reynolds would gain his powers through an experimental Super-Solider Serum (which was part of Project Sentry). The positives of this event led to Reynolds becoming The Sentry and gaining superhuman abilities that were tied to solar radiation. Reynolds gained superhuman strength, speed, intelligence, enhanced senses, energy projection, flight, and invulnerability, and in a pinch, he’s been described as having the power of a million exploding suns.

Sounds great right? Well, it is…but there was also a severe downside to all that power. Before gaining those powers, Reynolds suffered from schizophrenia, and so when he gained these powerful abilities his subconscious developed two personalities that would balance each other, and that included a dark persona called The Void. When The Void takes over, he has access to the same powers, though he also has the ability to assume different forms and infect people’s minds.

These two sides of Reynolds aren’t aware of each other for a long time, and so try and eliminate the other without realizing they are one and the same. At various times along the way, they would be made aware of each other or made to forget the other existed, and at times Reynolds would be the one lost in that mix as well, but almost always at some point The Sentry would re-emerge and that would be followed by The Void returning as well.

A Million Exploding Suns

Sentry has had some big successes, like when he flew Carnage to space and ripped him in half (though he did actually survive that because, you know, he’s Carnage). He’s also taken a direct hit from a Nuke and walked away just fine, and he was one of the few people to actually go toe to toe with The Hulk (during World War Hulk no less) and fight him to a draw.

Unfortunately, he’s had his share of losses as well, though not in the traditional sense. He won the battle against Ares, ripping the God of War in half, but he was possessed by The Void at the time and on the wrong side. The same goes for when he killed Loki as The Void, who was aiding The Avengers at the time.

So, all that to say, “Bob” is pretty powerful, even if he doesn’t yet realize it. This will likely be a combination of different Sentry stories, but the main approach is the same. Bob doesn’t realize he houses both The Sentry and The Void, or perhaps he doesn’t yet and we see the creation of his new powered form during the movie. He will get there eventually regardless, and when he does, the MCU better prepare for chaos.

Are you excited for Thunderbolts? You can talk all things comics and Marvel with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

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The first trailer for Marvel’s Thunderbolts* arrived this week, offering our first official look at the team along with the new costumes that some characters are getting. One member of the Thunderbolts team that has gotten major upgrade for the new MCU movie is Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov, aka Taskmaster, last seen in the MCU in the Black Widow movie. Though Marvel Studios largely has a great track record with bringing the Marvel Comics characters to life, there was some notable outcry after the MCU version of Taskmaster was revealed in the 2021 feature. With her appearance in Thunderbolts* now being prominently advertised, is Marvel making a pivot with their version of Taskmaster?

Why was Taskmaster controversial in Black Widow?

Ahead of the premiere of the Black Widow solo movie, fan-favorite Marvel villain Taskmaster was confirmed as one of the antagonists. In the pages of Marvel Comics, Taskmaster is a mercenary with a snarky personality and the ability to mimic any kind of fighting style or move he observes. He ranges from formidable to funny, with his trademark skull mask a main signifier and his mood capable of shifting from hilarious to ruthless from panel to panel.

In the Black Widow film, this was partially brought to life. The live-action Taskmaster maintains the “photographic reflexes” of the character, with some MCU liberties, but also has major ties to Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow’s larger storyline. As a result of the changes to the character’s origin, where she’s tied into the larger mythos of the Red Room and the operatives therein, the version of Taskmaster present in the movie has almost no dialogue, and nearly no personality at all. Taskmaster’s place in Black Widow makes sense for that film, and even making the character a woman feels like a change that doesn’t alter their core, but in terms of adapting Taskmaster into live-action, this version was met with confusion by Marvel fans.

Seeing Taskmaster’s powers handled well in live-action was one thing, but the fact that the character is deliberately made into a near-silent automaton with no charisma or identity was like Marvel not utilizing their potential. Within in the context of Black Widow, this is a fundamental component of Natasha and her family’s personal journeys, realizing what they were forged into by the Red Room and how they can break out of it; but it begs the question: why use Taskmaster within this role if it meant the character would have to be fundamentally altered?

Upon release, the MCU Taskmaster was compared unfavorably by some Marvel fans to the original version of Deadpool that Ryan Reynolds played in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Others noted that it was similar to the way that The Mandarin was handled in Iron Man 3 (though that twist on the character was baked into the story, and the subversion it brought to the screen made it all worth it). Granted, we know how the response to THAT change went, and how Marvel Studios very quickly did an about-face and pivoted to something more in line with what fans wanted. Could the same thing be on the horizon with Taskmaster?

How Thunderbolts* could fix Taskmaster

Marvel fans may recall that at the end of Black Widow, Taskmaster, like all the other former soldiers of the Red Room, was set free from their brainwashing techniques. Since that movie took place after the events of Captain America: Civil War and years before Avengers: Infinity War, there’s a major gap of time between when the MCU’s Taskmaster was last seen on screen and when Thunderbolts* takes place in the timelines. As a result, Taskmaster has seemingly been wandering about the world and has perhaps grown off screen to reflect what fans are expecting for them. We know they’ve already got a whole new outfit, so that’s progress.

In addition though, everyone on this Thunderbolts team has a bit of a mean streak to them, so if Taskmaster returns and has nothing to say (literally) that will make them stand apart, and not in a good way. This isn’t to say that Taskmaster should arrive on the scene in Thunderbolts* talking a mile a minute with a Deadpool-like sensibility for comedy, but a character that has become free of her father’s influence and whose entire powerset is observing and copying other characters… probably has something to say about her teammates and their moves. The MCU Taskmaster seemingly thrives in the darker corners of the MCU’s espionage web. Let’s hope they really make that work in Thunderbolts* .

MCU’s Thunderbolts team explained

There are two major things of note about this entire team of characters on the Thunderbolts. First, they’re all wayward characters that don’t really have a place in the larger MCU machinations. That’s not only true from an external, meta perspective about the franchise as a whole, but where they all were left after their previous appearances. Red Guardian, US Agent, Yelena, Bucky, Ghost, and Taskmaster were all kind of abandoned, not because they were uninteresting or not useful, but because their place wasn’t clear. Taskmaster certainly fits this bill, and is in keeping with the original idea of the Thunderbolts, where supervillains were posing as heroes. 

Second, they’re all enhanced soldiers, either via a serum or some other means that have made them more like weapons than people. It’s clear that this element of the characters will be a driving force behind why they’re all brought together and will likely play into the fact that The Sentry, aka “Bob,” is also present in the film, but how that will all tie together remains to be seen. Considering Taskmaster’s own powerset, it makes sense that they be the character to unveil the connection, revealing to everyone else that the reason they’ve been brought together is actually a relatively simple one. Maybe, in Thunderbolts*, Taskmaster will get the chance to show the team, and the world, who they really are.

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has had a secret hanging around it for a long time, okay two secrets if you count the asterisk. The scuttlebutt about the movie has long pointed to the arrival of Marvel’s The Sentry in the film, a role that was originally for Steven Yeun before he departed the film. Now Marvel has enlisted Top Gun: Maverick and Salem’s Lot star Lewis Pullman for the part, which they continue to just reference as “Bob” in the marketing materials. Fans know that at some point Bob’s real place in the MCU will be revealed and he’s going to become The Sentry, and Pullman himself has a tease for that too.

Speaking with ComicBook in an interview for the upcoming Salem’s Lot, we asked the actor about the teaser trailer for Thunderbolts* that just dropped this week and whether his character “Bob” may get to ditch the scrubs that have defined him so far in the marketing. Maybe trading it for an outfit with a cape? Pullman’s answer is one that shouldn’t fully surprise Marvel fans.

“I love the trailer and yesterday was the first time I saw it really, because when I first saw I was at Comic-Con and I couldn’t really crane my neck like that, but, I think it’s great,” Pullman said. “I will say he does make his way out of those scrubs. He gets to change, and I hope he…I don’t know, it wasn’t camera, but I hope he washes them. But he does get to relieve himself of those scrubs, which, you know, is nice.”

It’s worth noting that The Sentry getting his own costume seems like a forgone conclusion for the Thunderbolts* movie. His place in the film also makes sense when considering the makeup of the team too. Because The Sentry’s powers were derived from a version of the Super Soldier Serum, albeit one that gave him the “power of a million exploding suns,” so, a little different. More importantly to the core of The Sentry though is that he has two personas, the super heroic side with the golden costume and the flowing cape, and The Void, his dark side, an evil entity that lives within him which he must vigilantly battle. 

Pullman at least admitting that Bob will be getting an upgrade in the wardrobe department is at least progress from the secret keeping that he maintained as recently as this summer. Early this year he expertly dodged a question about if he was even playing the cult Marvel hero, telling Happy Sad Confused when confronted with a picture of The Sentry’s outfit: “What a beautiful costume. Look at those locks, my God.” 

Thunderbolts* is described as an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits. The film also returns to the screen Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in addition to some exciting new faces.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers.

Thunderbolts* will be released exclusively in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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The marketing campaign for Marvel’s Thunderbolts* began this week, with a new trailer and poster providing the first official look at the upcoming live-action film. The project will unite a number of fan-favorite characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a new high-octane adventure — but one minute detail has eclipsed a lot of the attention surrounding that. In recent days, fans have speculated that the Thunderbolts* poster is enhanced with artificial intelligence, after noticing that new character Bob (Lewis Pullman) appears to have a sixth finger. In a recent interview with Collider, Pullman addressed the bizarre controversy, and ultimately blamed it on a bizarre case of cropping.

“I’ve heard about the six-finger thing,” Pullman revealed. “But if you look closely, there’s actually no mistakes going on. I actually spent some time because I was like, ‘Did they give me a sixth finger?’ But they didn’t. It’s just cropped at the right point where it looks like there’s an extra tip happening or something. But that’s about it. I love that.”

Who Is Bob in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*?

While not confirmed by Marvel Studios, it has been heavily speculated that Pullman’s Bob is really Robert “Bob” Reynolds, also known as the superhero Sentry. Pullman has played coy about the possibility of him playing that superheroic role, but has expressed excitement about joining the franchise in any capacity. 

“You know, I think the MCU is always something that I’ve watched and felt like is a beautiful world that is kind of untouchable,” Pullman explained in May of this year. “I think there is something about joining that world which is similar to joining television in that whenever somebody joins in, you want it to be as a character you can live in for a long time and an aspect of the world you want to be in.”

What Is Marvel’s Thunderbolts* About?

Thunderbolts* is described as an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits. The film also returns to the screen Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in addition to some exciting new faces.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers.

Thunderbolts* will be released exclusively in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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One of the more interesting talking points to come out of the Thunderbolts* teaser trailer is Bucky Barnes and his Vibranium arm. Instead of teaming back up with Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World, Bucky finds himself stuck with the outcasts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thunderbolts*. Bucky’s taking a blast from the past with the return of his long hair and his car-attacking weapon from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it’s his metal arm that’s got everyone talking. The trailer for Thunderbolts* shows Bucky pulling his Vibranium arm out of the dishwasher, which isn’t something you normally see every day. But the arm also raises an MCU plot hole.

Wakanda gifted Bucky Barnes a Vibranium replacement for the metal arm he lost in his battle with Iron Man in Civil War. After escaping their fight with Iron Man, Captain America and Winter Soldier fled to Wakanda, where Bucky was placed under sedation while Black Panther’s scientists worked to remove his Hydra brainwashing. Once Thanos started invading Earth, Winter Soldier was back in action and packing a Vibranium arm to defend the planet. He’s had the arm ever since then, but it has made another appearance in the MCU without Bucky, and that’s in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

How Bucky’s arm showed up in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special helped bridge the gap between Avengers: Endgame and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3, all while taking the Guardians on a holiday-filled adventure. At the end of the Disney+ streaming movie the Guardians exchange gifts, with Nebula delivering a special gift to Rocket Racoon. When Rocket opens the elongated box, he finds Bucky’s Vibranium arm inside.

Rocket’s obsession with Bucky’s arm dates back to Avengers: Infinity War, when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are fighting Thanos’ Black Order army in Wakanda. When all hope appears to be lost, Thor emerges on the battlefield with his new ax Stormbreaker, along with Rocket and Groot. Once the fighting picks back up, the Winter Soldier and Rocket are shooting their guns side-by-side, with Winter Soldier at one point picking up Rocket and spinning in a circle. Once Bucky drops Rocket, the furry Guardian asks Bucky how much it would cost to turn over the Vibranium arm. Bucky storms off without answering, with Rocket muttering, “Oh, I’m gonna get that arm.” 

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special made that statement true, but it was never revealed how Nebula got the arm. Guardians director James Gunn gave some tongue-in-cheek responses to fans when they asked that same question, but she somehow got it and it also somehow wound back up with Bucky just in time for Thunderbolts*.

If we were to speculate, perhaps Nebula just borrowed Bucky’s arm, and Rocket Raccoon gave it back to Bucky once he was done admiring it. Or Wakanda had several arms made and Nebula just got her hands on one. Unfortunately, the real answer is probably closer to this being one of those unsolved mysteries/Easter eggs that will forever go unanswered in the MCU. It’s not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, and it shouldn’t interrupt your viewing enjoyment of Thunderbolts*. But that doesn’t mean fans don’t have questions about the plot hole.

Thunderbolts* opens in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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Thunderbolts* has a brand-new poster and fans think it was created by AI. Monday morning brought a surprise drop for the Thunderbolts* trailer. But, after the fans got over how cool the entire thing looked, attention shifted towards “Bob”‘s hand in the new poster. An initial posting of the image showed off Lewis Pullman’s character with six fingers instead of five. This of course sent the Marvel Studios investigators into overdrive trying to analyze the image and see if it could have been AI generated. A lot of the Internet seems to have landed on the theory that it was just a photoshop mistake as there are other irregularities present in the poster composition. (For example, limbs on other characters being in strange groupings that don’t make a ton of sense. But, not in that obvious AI way where something is a dead giveaway.)

Upon further inspection on Twitter, people think that “Bob”‘s sixth finger is actually just the fifth digit clipped by some strange layout choices. Other commenters chimed-in with observations about US Agent, Red Guardian and Ghost’s arms all crossing at strange intersections. Clearly there was some assembling here and maybe someone forgot to label all the layers when they were cleaning it up? A strange case to be sure. But, there’s also a possibility that people aren’t really talking about. What if “Bob” really does have a sixth finger? 

Marvel trailers are notorious for switching up elements from the final movie. The other main fan discussion online about the Thunderbolts* trailer is that Yelena Belova could be on this mission inside of Avengers Tower. Why would all of these anti-heroes or outright villains be turned loose inside the former home of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? Could the asset they’ve been charged with eliminating be Pullman’s frankly unassuming “Bob”? Why is this man, dressed like a medical patient mind you, just milling around what one would assume is a classified area. Also, what the heck were those things hanging from the ceiling. Maybe it was just a slight spoiler rather than a case of AI gone wild. May of 2025 will bring more answers.

For Now, Lewis Pullman Is “Bob.”

While a debate over finger-based minutiae continues over on Reddit and other social media platforms, Lewis Pullman’s actual debut as Bob flies under the radar in slightly spectacular fashion. A lot has been made about the casting for the character that a lot of Internet-hardened Marvel fans think is The Sentry. First, it was Steven Yeun tabbed to bring a “mystery character” to life. And, once scheduling conflicts arose, Pullman parked his Top Gun: Maverick jet and climbed aboard Thunderbolts*. As everyone tries to get the actor to talk about his place in Marvel Studios’ upcoming misfits crossover, “Bob” is staying out of the limelight.

But, Pullman knows he’s going to be asked about the movie at some point. He joined Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to tease a little bit about Thunderbolts*. The star still wasn’t giving anything away. But, he did show some admiration for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He knows that this whole operation is absolutely massive and there’s certain things that probably should stay close to the vest. (Those Marvel snipers are out there after all, and they’re probably paying extra attention to him at this point.)

“You know, I think the MCU is always something that I’ve watched and felt like is a beautiful world that is kind of untouchable,” Pullman told the host. “I think there is something about joining that world which is similar to joining television in that whenever somebody joins in, you want it to be as a character you can live in for a long time and an aspect of the world you want to be in.”

Later in the conversation, Horowitz would try his luck again. But, even when confronted with a literal picture of Sentry from the comics, Pullman wasn’t about to have Kevin Feige calling his phone so early in this process. “What a beautiful costume. Look at those locks, my God,” the star smirked. He would also switch gears by talking about how he would want the ability to shapeshift if a “real-life” superpower was on the table. Horowitz just ended up joking about a “confirmation” that Sentry would have those abilities in the movie.

“I haven’t looked into Sentry,” Pullman demured. “First time I’ve heard this name. The Sentry sounds like a snakey, shapeshifter kind of vibe, if you read the comics.”

What do you think is going on with Sentry’s sixth finger? Check out all the pop culture discussion over at @ComicBook!

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Fans have spotted an Easter egg for the first Avengers movie in the teaser trailer for Thunderbolts*. The newest team to make its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut is filled with outcasts and castoffs, with the Thunderbolts seemingly being assembled by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. With characters such as Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier, and Red Guardian as part of the Thunderbolts, Marvel fans should stay on their toes because who knows what will happen. But since Thunderbolts* does take place in the MCU, that means there are connections to previous movies and shows. And Thunderbolts* has connections to both Loki and Marvel’s The Avengers.

Around the 2:20 minute mark in the Thunderbolts* teaser trailer, we can see Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) attending a Battle of New York exhibit. Of course, the Battle of New York is where the Avengers assembled for the very first time to combat Loki and the Chitauri invasion. Fans even got to see the Battle of New York through fresh eyes during the time heist in Avengers: Endgame. So back to the exhibit…. up front in a display case by the stairs is Loki’s scepter, which he used to mind control Hawkeye and Erik Selvig. Avengers: Age of Ultron would later reveal that inside the scepter was the Mind Stone, which Vision would ultimately take possession of before Thanos ripped it out of his skull in Avengers: Infinity War.

The MCU journey of Loki’s scepter

Similar to the comics, Loki is responsible for the formation of the Avengers. In his quest for power, Loki turns to Thanos, who gifts the God of Mischief the scepter holding the Mind Stone. Loki uses the scepter to take control of Hawkeye and Erik Selvig’s minds, twisting them to his will. The Chitauri invasion is repelled by the Avengers, with Thor taking Loki back to Asgard to stand trial.

The next time we see Loki’s scepter is in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Baron von Strucker and Hydra used it to perform experiments on Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, granting them their superhuman abilities. Though as we learned in WandaVision, Wanda always had her powers, and the scepter only jumpstarted them. Once the Avengers defeated Strucker, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner used the scepter to complete the Ultron Program. The scepter was taken by Ultron to finish his programming as well, opening it up to reveal the Mind Stone inside it.

It would appear that the Loki scepter has found a new home inside an exhibit dedicated to the Battle of New York. Since it looks like Valentina is the new mystery owner of Avengers Tower, she may also be the owner of Loki’s scepter and is the one throwing the exhibit to show off her new toys.

Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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To paraphrase Fight Club: “In Project Thunderbolts*, we have no names.” But rather than Robert “Bob” Paulson, his name is Robert “Bob” Reynolds. “I’m Bob,” stammers Lewis Pullman’s Bob in the just-released trailer for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, where Black Widow (Florence Pugh), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) draw their weapons on the disheveled, patient gown-clad Bob deep within an underground vault. 

The trailer is set to the Pixies song “Where is My Mind” which, not coincidentally, also features in Fight Club, David Fincher’s 1999 cult classic about a seemingly unassuming man (Edward Norton) whose mental illness manifests as a split personality: his dark and violent alter-ego, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). If glimpses of an “S”-shaped belt buckle and an “S” symbol didn’t tip you off, these are all references to The Sentry, Bob’s solar-powered superhero persona in the comics.

Are you ready for the secret of… The Sentry? You asked for it, loyal readers! Introducing the greatest hero of them all — The Golden Guardian of Good!

Introduced in the pages of 2000’s Sentry #1 by writer Paul Jenkins and artist Jae Lee, Bob Reynolds was the greatest Marvel hero you’d never heard of. A Jack Kirby-inspired Silver Age comic book-within-a-comic, titled Startling Stories featuring The Sentry, revealed the Sentry’s origins as high school freshman “Robby” Reynolds. After drinking a vial of an enigmatic professor’s secret formula — an experimental chemical serum that granted him the “power of a million exploding suns” — Bob took the name Sentry, as it was his duty to “watch over the world.”

You want to remember, Sentry, but you can’t. Something happened… it was something very bad.

Only Bob Reynolds remembered his heroic exploits saving the world alongside the likes of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Hulk. As the forgotten hero investigated what made everyone forget he ever existed, Bob warned of the return of his arch-nemesis: a dark entity known only as The Void.

Now is a time for vigilance.

After Bob triggered the memories of Reed Richards, the 2001 one-shot Sentry/The Void #1 revealed the truth about the Sentry: Bob Reynolds is the Void. By ingesting the Golden Sentry Serum, Bob’s mentally ill psyche created two personas — the golden boy superhero and his villainous alter-ego — and as the Void, Bob subconsciously killed a million people in an attack that destroyed half a city.

The Sentry. If we ever remember him… in the name of humanity, promise me you’ll do whatever you can to make us forget. 

To prevent the end of existence, Bob conspired with Reed and thesorcerer Doctor Strange to make everyone forget the Sentry existed using a mesmeric induction device to transmit a virus that effectively erased him from existence. As the antithesis of the Sentry, the Void vanished alongside Bob’s superhero alter-ego.

That’s Robert Reynolds. He went by the name of The Sentry. He’s, maybe, according to Reed Richards, the most powerful superhero on the planet Earth.

Bob resurfaced as a prisoner of The Raft, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s maximum security prison for supervillains, in New Avengers #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch. The Sentry’s return unleashed the Void, who fought the combined forces of the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Inhumans, and S.H.I.E.L.D. until the mutant psychic Emma Frost was able to penetrate Bob’s psyche and reveal how the mutant named Mastermind used his psionic powers to effectively retcon Sentry’s existence in the public’s mind.

The 2005-2006 miniseries Sentry Vol. 2 eventually revealed that Bob Reynolds’ true personality is the malevolent Void, and that the Sentry is the manufactured persona. In Sentry #8, by Jenkins and artist John Romita Jr., Sentry’s secret origin was altered again with the revelation that the serum that gave him his powers was the creation of “Project Sentry,” an attempt to recreate the super-soldier serum that transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America. 

“Robby” Reynolds was really a diagnosed schizophrenic with generalized anxiety disorder and agoraphobia who stole the Professor’s vial of serum to get high. Becoming addicted to the power, Void told Sentry: “If it could turn a meek young freshman into both the greatest hero and the greatest threat the planet had ever known, it could do the same to everyone. That’s the big secret, Sentry: we’re nothing special. That serum would have worked on anybody.”

And this is how it goes for you: always the Sentry, ever the Void. So it will be until the end of time… you must remain vigilant, for you are humanity’s only hope.

After former Thunderbolts leader Norman Osborn assembled a H.A.M.M.E.R. squad of villains misappropriating the likenesses of Earth’s mightiest heroes, including Spider-Man (Scorpion), Hawkeye (Bullseye), Wolverine (Daken), and Ms. Marvel (Moonstone), the Sentry joined Osborn’s Avengers*: the Dark Avengers. When the Void returned during Osborn’s siege on new Asgard in the four-issue series Siege, the New Avengers battled the Void, who briefly reverted back to Bob upon defeat. The Void pleaded with the Avengers to kill him, so Thor summoned a bolt of lightning that killed Bob, and the thunder godlaid his remains in the heart of the Sun.

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“There are good guys, and you’re bad guys,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine remarks in the new Thunderbolts* trailer. “But there are worse guys.” Before Marvel Studios assembles the anti-Avengers — a motley crew of anti-heroes and reformed villains that includes Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), AntoniaDreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian(David Harbour), and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) — Marvel Comics is assembling the comics that inspired the movie*.

* New trade paperbacks set to release in 2025 include Thunderbolts: The Saga of Yelena Belova, which compiles the earliest appearances of the Red Room’s top assassin-spy in the Marvel Universe, and Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers, collecting the complete 12-issue run of the Bucky Barnes-fronted Thunderbolts Vol. 3 by Jim Zub and Jon Malin.

Out March 4th, 2025, Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers sees the non-lethal Thunderbolts squad led by Winter Soldier —Atlas, Moonstone, Mach-X, Fixer, Kobik, and Songbird — battle S.H.I.E.L.D., the Squadron Supreme, and the original Thunderbolts: Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil, a group of supervillains who posed as superheroes in the absence of the Avengers.

Thunderbolts: The Saga of Yelena Belova, on sale March 11th, includes Natasha Romanoff/Natalia Romanova’s first self-titled solo series, 1999’s Marvel Knights: Black Widow limited series by Devin Grayson and J.G. Jones, which pit Black Widow against Black Widow when Natasha met Yelena for the first time during a mission to Rhapastan. Also included in the 376-page trade paperback is 2001’s Black Widow Vol. 2, co-starring both Black Widows, the 2020 one-shot comic Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova, the four-issue limited series Winter Guard (featuring White Widow, Red Guardian, and Russia’s premiere super-team), and the four-issue “I Am the Black Widow” arc from Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande’s 2020 Black Widow run.

Also slated for release in May is the Marvel Epic Collection Thunderbolts: Targeted for Death, which follows Hawkeye’s Thunderbolts during writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley’s run on the ’90s first volume.

Thunderbolts: Winter Soldiers

The Winter Soldier leads a new team of Thunderbolts!

Outof the ashes of AVENGERS: STANDOFF, Bucky Barnes recruits a squad ofrenegades — but are they heroes or villains? Do even they know forsure?! They’re on a rampage across the Marvel Universe, hunting down anddestroying bizarre, mind-bending threats — all the while harboring oneof their own! And among their number is the serial manipulatorMoonstone! What could go wrong? How about a gut-wrenching battle forleadership, an alien threat and super-team showdowns with the All-NewInhumans and the Squadron Supreme?! As CIVIL WAR II rages, the WinterSoldier takes on Spider-Man! But Steve Rogers wants to know whereBucky’s loyalties lie. Plus: The Thunderbolts used to be the Masters ofEvil — and if Baron Zemo has his way, their villainous legacy will bereclaimed with the infinite power of a Cosmic Cube!

COLLECTING: Thunderbolts (2016) 1-12

Thunderbolts: The Saga of Yelena Belova

Yelena Belova’s journey from adversary to ally of the Black Widow!

NatashaRomanoff’s time as the Black Widow may be running out — because YelenaBelova is gunning for the mantle! Yelena is the first student in RedRoom history to exceed Natasha’s skills — and now she’s determined toeliminate her predecessor and claim the title for her own! It’s a war ofthe Widows that will rage from the Middle East’s deserts to New York’sUpper West Side! But Yelena’s path will soon place her square in thecrosshairs of her home country, alongside Alexei Shostakov, the RedGuardian! Together, they face a race across Russia…pursued by the WinterGuard! And Yelena finds her destiny as the White Widow, helping Natashaprotect San Francisco from a terrible threat!

COLLECTING: BlackWidow (1999) 1-3, Black Widow (2001) 1-3, Widowmakers: Red Guardian andYelena Belova (2020) 1, Winter Guard (2021) 1-4, Black Widow (2020) 7-10

Thunderbolts Epic Collection: Targeted for Death

Marvel’s villains turned heroes, the Thunderbolts, continue their quest for redemption!

Forthe good of his team, MACH-1 gave up his liberty to atone for his sins.Now he’s in prison, surrounded by the super villains who used to be hispeers — and who now want him dead! Meanwhile, the Thunderbolts have anew leader in Hawkeye, a new headquarters, a new ship and a new mission:to prove themselves heroes by taking down the biggest villains atlarge! But with Graviton next on their list, will Archangel join theteam? Citizen V returns, the T-Bolts have a rematch with the Hulk,Scourge targets Baron Zemo, and you won’t believe the identity of thenew Beetle! Clint Barton leads the T-Bolts into hell and back for afallen Avenger — but when he locks lips with Moonstone, there’s only oneword for it: uh-oh! Plus: Enter, Sandman!

COLLECTING: Thunderbolts (1997) 26-41, Thunderbolts Annual 2000, Avengers Annual 2000

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2nd, 2025.

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* teaser trailer has dropped and it reveals that Scarlett Johansson is making a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a very unexpected way. That’s because the cast and crew listings for Thunderbolts* have revealed that Johansson is part of the film… as an executive producer! That makes sense, as Johansson was an executive producer on Marvel’s Black Widow (2021) – one of several MCU projects being pulled together for this Thunderbolts* ensemble film and having Johansson back as EP on Thunderbolts* – which will continue the stories of Key Black Widow characters – tracks. 

As Variety shared in its synopsis for Thunderbolts*: 

Based on Kurt Busiek’s comic series of the same name, “Thunderbolts*” is directed by Jake Schreier, with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers. The screenplay is written by Eric Pearson (“Black Widow,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Transformers One,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”), “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and co-showrunner of “The Bear” Joanna Calo.

Back in 2021, news broke that Marvel President Kevin Feige and Scarlett Johansson were working together as producers on an MCU project: 

“We are already working with Scarlett on another non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project with her as a producer,” Feige said at the time. “Scarlett is one of the most talented, versatile and beloved actors of our time. It has truly been a pleasure to work with someone of her caliber. From those epic training sessions preparing for the hallway fight in Iron Man 2, to the around the world press tour in Avengers: Endgame to partnering with you as a producer on Black Widow, working with you Scarlett has truly been one of the most memorable and rewarding collaborations of my career.”

Johansson fielded questions about the project whenever she was doing press – including in 2023 when she confirmed that her MCU project “It is still happening. Yes. It is still happening, [but] not currently because nothing is happening right now [due to the WGA Strike]. We’re all sort of in this holding pattern… Right before the strike, we were in the middle of developing it, and now everything is at a simmer.”

Looking back now, it’s easy to fill in the gaps and surmise that Scarlett Johansson was making references to Thunderbolts*. The film started production in June 2023; the Writers’ Strike delayed it, and then the Actors’ Strike. Now, with the reveal that Johansson is getting an EP credit for Thunderbolts*, this may be one MCU mystery we can put to bed. There will be some fans who are upset that Johansson wasn’t 

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The just-released trailer for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* featured a funny final moment — but some fans have noticed that in addition to being amusing on its face, that moment was a callback to one of the most popular movies in the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the final seconds of the trailer, Bucky Barnes is tailing a vehicle in which the rest of the Thunderbolts are riding. He fires a shot at them, and it totally destabilizes the entire rear end of the car.

That’s because he’s using the same gun he used to take out Nick Fury’s car in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s not exactly an Easter egg — I mean, he’s just using gear that is established to be part of his canonical arsenal — but it’s certainly a cool thing to see back in action after a decade away.

Thunderbolts* brings together a batch of former Marvel antagonists, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Red Guardian (David Harbour) and U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell). They’re gathered, seemingly, by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the team up…doesn’t seem to be a smooth one, as evidenced by the cannon shot in question. 

The characters’ competing interests and loyalties repeatedly boil over in the teaser trailer, but it does seem like Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is both the person who currently owns (or at least operates) Avengers Tower, and that she is putting together her own, darker version of The Avengers. Could that be what the Thunderbolts asterisk is about?

Depending on timing and cutting, it could be that the former villains are screwing each other over throughout, or just that all this fighting happens before the team actually comes together. It’s hard to guess what is more likely at this point.

It’s definitely smart to expect some kind of twist, though; the Thunderbolts brand is built largely on a single, spectacular twist from back in the first-ever Thunderbolts #1. After being introduced as a fairly generic superhero team made up of new and original characters, the Thunderbolts retired to their HQ in the last few pages and revealed themselves to be a group of existing villains who were running a long con.

“We are not the good guys,” Harbour said in a recent interview. “We are not capable. [We’re not] Captain America responsible. We don’t show up on time. Punctuality is not our strong suit.”

Thunderbolts* will arrive in theaters on May 2nd.

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One thing Marvel fans may be asking themselves after watching the first trailer for Thunderbolts* is, “Why is there an asterik at the end of the name?” It’s definitely an interesting question, especially because the asterik was added last year after Marvel Studios made some adjustments to its release calendar. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige even confirmed the asterik was an official part of the Thunderbolts* title, though he didn’t elaborate on exactly what it means. Of course, that isn’t going to stop us from speculating, and there are some clues that point us to some adaptations from the comics that are tied to the Avengers.

Thunderbolts* features a diverse cast of characters, headlined by Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier), David Harbour (Alexei / The Red Guardian), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine). As Yelena referenced in the trailer, every member of the Thunderbolts has a shady past. After the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, there doesn’t appear to be an official team of Avengers operating in the MCU. This leaves a void that the Thunderbolts are perfectly suitable to fill. Valentina may also be the person who purchased Avengers Tower, which is another clue to the Thunderbolts* asterik. What if the Thunderbolts are meant to replace the Avengers, even taking on their name?

Are the Thunderbolts really the Dark Avengers?

Following the Secret Invasion event, which saw the alien Skrulls infiltrate and attack Earth, Marvel Comics transitioned to its “Dark Reign” publishing initiative, with Norman Osborn put in charge of the global peacekeeping entity known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Norman renamed S.H.I.E.L.D. into H.A.M.M.E.R. and dressed up some of Marvel’s most infamous villains as fan-favorite heroes, dubbing them the Dark Avengers. Norman gained this rise in prominence by helping to defeat the Skrulls during Secret Invasion. 

The Dark Avengers roster included Norman Osborn as Iron Patriot, Venom (Mac Gargan) as Spider-Man, Bullseye as Hawkeye, Noh-Varr as Captain Marvel, Moonstone as Ms. Marvel, and Logan’s son Daken as Wolverine. The whole point of the Dark Avengers is so Norman can gain the public’s trust and adulation, even though he’s widely known as the villainous Spider-Man nemesis the Green Goblin.

Something similar could be at play in Thunderbolts*. Ever since Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a surprise appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, she seems to be making connections to individuals with the sole purpose of putting together a team. So far she’s recruited US Agent, and was a handler for Yelena Belova when she was sent to murder Clint Barton in Hawkeye. Is this all leading to the end-credits of Thunderbolts* revealing the title is merely a stand-in for Dark Avengers?

Or are the Thunderbots the Secret Avengers?

Another Avengers team the Thunderbolts could be stand-ins for are the Secret Avengers. Once the Avengers reassembled to take down Norman Osborn, the “Dark Reign” publishing initiative gave way to the “Heroic Age.” Steve Rogers took over Norman’s role as the person responsible for the United States’ security and law enforcement. Along with that came the reformation of the Avengers, but Steve also created a black ops team that worked in the shadows called the Secret Avengers.

Heroes like Black Widow, Beast, Moon Knight, Nova, and Sharon Carter make up the first Secret Avengers team, with several characters coming and going during its run. A version of the Secret Avengers have already operated in the MCU. When Captain America, Black Widow, and Falcon went rogue against the Sokovia Accords following Captain America: Civil War, they continued to fight the good fight and take down terrorists by working under the radar of the government. Fans quickly dubbed them the Secret Avengers, and the group was also adapted for the Avengers Assemble animated series. If the Thunderbolts were the Secret Avengers, they would come off as slightly more heroic than being the Dark Avengers.

The Thunderbolts asterik is a huge MCU mystery

Dark Avengers and Secret Avengers are only two of the theories floating around regarding the asterik in Thunderbolts*. David Harbour, who returns as Red Guardian in Thunderbolts*, recently teased what the film is about, while adding fuel to the fire with the asterik speculation.

“I mean, they retroactively put the asterisk [in],” Harbour said while speaking to ComicBook about his role as BoxLunch’s brand ambassador. “The asterisk was an idea that that someone had…..What can I say that’s not going to get me in trouble? …The asterisk is very cool. I understand why people might put an asterisk there. I’m excited for the viewers to see that as well. But I, again, I just can’t say anymore.”

The mystery behind the asterik should be revealed when Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters in May 2, 2025.

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