Marvel's Antihero Team Built Thunderbolts
Offering a darker interpretation of the venerable Avengers formula, Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts assembles a team of antiheroes and reformed villains. Several MCU characters with morally dubious pasts will be returning this Phase 5 project, resulting in a singular and erratic ensemble. Though rumors about the movie's relationship to Black Widow were abound at first, Lee Sung Jin's script changes have pushed the story toward a new, independent path.
An Assembly of Unlikely Friends
Sequential Phase 4 projects including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Captain America: New World Order follow Thunderbolts. Characters in this movie would not usually cross paths, so producing a dynamic and interesting conflict of personalities. The team is a varied assembly of people with complex pasts, therefore their allegiances and motivations are always changing.
The Thunderbolts Roster: Motivational Characters
Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky," sometimes known as The Winter Soldier
Hydra turned Steve Rogers' childhood friend Bucky Barnes into the Winter Soldier, a lethal killer. Once free from his conditioning, Bucky helped Sam Wilson become Captain America and sought atonement in Wakanda. Although his past still haunts him, his presence in Thunderbolts marks his dedication to the greater good.
Black Widow Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Also trained in the Red Room as a Black Widow killer was Natasha Romanoff's sister Yelena Belova. She became under the control of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine after helping to destroy the Red Room, which coached her into trying to kill Clint Barton. Though Yelena's intentions are still unknown, her relationship with Valentina and her membership on the Thunderbolts team point to a convoluted and maybe perilous road forward.
John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent, Wyatt Russell
Originally identified as Captain America's successor, John Walker finally chose a darker route. Driven by his ego and need for dominance, Walker's actions resulted in his being taken off the Captain America title. Inspired by the super-soldier serum and a warped sense of patriotism, hired by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine he becomes US Agent. His membership in Thunderbolts guarantees a volatile team dynamic.
David Harbor as Red Guardian, Alexei Shostakov
Father figure for Alexei Shostakov, Natasha Romanoff, and Yelena Belova is Red Guardian, a Soviet super-soldier. Alexei served the Soviet military using a Cold War version of the super-soldier serum before turning prisoner. In quest of retribution, he helped his daughters destroy the Red Room. Together with two other super soldiers, his membership on the Thunderbolts team promises exciting power dynamics and strategic complexity.
Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, A.K.A. Ava Starr
Previously acting as a villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ava Starr developed the ability to become intangible and control energy following a quantum accident. Her comeback in Thunderbolts, after she vanished in the last movie, gives the team something different. Ghost's skills and motives remain a riddle, and her membership in this ensemble promises interesting future prospects.
Taskmaster Antonia Dreykov, Olga Kurylenko
General Dreykov's daughter Antonia Dreykov was turned into Taskmaster, a lethal killer able to exactly replicate her opponent's fighting moves. At the end of Black Widow, Freed from her father's control, her future in the MCU stayed unknown until her casting in Thunderbolts. Her company with Yelena and the Red Guardian points to a complex and maybe explosive dynamic.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Congratulation Mysterious and formidable Valentina Allegra de Fontaine hired John Walker and dispatched Yelena Belova on a killing trip against Clint Barton. Made public as Black Panther's CIA Director, Wakanda Forever, Val's impact on the Thunderbolts team is kept under wraps. The movie gains more mystery from her motives and final aim still unknown.
Thaddeus Ross's President Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford replaces late William Hurt in Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts as President Thaddeus Ross. Ross currently holds the highest position in the country having risen from General to Secretary of State. His metamorphosis into the powerful and erratic Red Hulk gives the Thunderbolts story still another level of complexity. Together with the Thunderbolts team's influence in the political scene, the possibility for conflict between President Ross and Captain America generates interesting prospects.
Lewis Pullman as Bob's friend
Lewis Pullman plays "Bob," a character conjectured to be Marvel's Sentry, a formidable hero with great powers. The character's name, "Bob," seems to allude to Robert Reynolds, Sentry's full name, so fueling the rumors. Such a strong character's arrival into the MCU has enormous ramifications and promises to significantly alter the path of the Thunderbolts team.
Geraldine Viswanathan as Unconfirmed Agent
Geraldine Viswanathan replaces Ayo Edebiri on the Thunderbolts cast in a currently unknown role because of scheduling conflicts. Viswanathan's presence gives the group a new dynamic even if her character is still a mystery.
Thunderbolts: A Novel Antiheroes Era
With a dynamic team of antiheroes with nuanced motivations and erratic alliances, Thunderbolts promises to stretch the limits of the MCU. This movie looks at the moral conundrums, the fallout from past behavior, and the possibility of atonement. Thunderbolts is ready to be an exciting and erratic addition to the MCU's Phase 5 with its roster of strong characters and gripping story line. Fans are eager to see the drama of this unusual superhero team come to pass in the movie.
