After a long time of focusing on heroes, the MCU has decided to shift to another category of superheroes: anti-heroes. Mainly, those who are heroes but operate in a code which doesn’t resonate well with the code of superheroes should be. The latest teaser, which MCU has released, is about Thunderbolts*, where prominent anti-heroes like Winter Soldier, Black Widow II, Red Guardian, US Agent, Taskmaster and Ghost assemble for the first time.
The film Thunderbolts* is scheduled to release on 2 May 2025. It is directed by Jack Schreier and written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Carlo. It starts with an ensemble cast consisting of David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, and Florence Pugh. There is also a shocking twist in the teaser, which was waiting for the Thunderbolts team.
The major twist in the teaser
As seen at the end of the teaser of Thunderbolts* where Yelena Belova the Black Widow II states to her companions, which include John Walker, Ghost and Taskmaster. That since they have done various harmful things, someone wants them to be killed on the first mission. So the twist here in this context is that despite the team getting assembled, it was assembled to eliminate them.
This twist gives the feelings of the formation of Avengers, but in a reverse way, as the Avengers were assembled to get protection, they were assembled to get eliminated. However, many more exciting things have been revealed through the teaser, especially an answer to a very old question regarding the MCU, which fans have asked for seven years.
The teaser finally answers a 7-year-old MCU question
One of the most prominent things revealed by the teaser is a 7-year-old question. In this context, the question was who brought the Avengers Tower or Stark Tower. In Spider-Man Homecoming, which came out in 2017, it was seen that it had been sold to unknown buyers. However, after that, Marvel never attempted to provide the buyer’s name. Meanwhile, fans have provided theories regarding the buyer’s name, from Norman Osborn to Reed Richards to Wilson Fisk.
However, in the teaser, it is seemingly revealed that the owner of the Avengers Tower is none other than Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The director of the CIA in the MCU and the person in the teaser is seemingly responsible for the Thunderbolts* being assembled. It can be seen when the group meets with her in a building; the bar and the elevator are heavily similar to the bar and elevator of Avengers Tower.
Nonetheless, the interior also looks heavily identical to the Avengers Tower’s. So, it can be assumed that she officially owns the Avengers Tower. However, the proper confirmation of how she seemingly acquired the tower will likely be explored more in the upcoming trailers or film. Besides seemingly answering this particular question, the teaser of Thunderbolts* also seemingly introduces the main villain, which the group had to fight off.
The main villain of Thunderbolts* who is Marvel’s dark take on Superman
In the middle of the teaser of Thunderbolts*, a character named Bob, played by Lewis Pullman, appears like a patient of an asylum or hospital, mumbling like he has been put there for an extended amount of time. The powers of his were also briefly shown as it is seen that the doors are automatically closed, seemingly hinting that he might have something to do with it.
As reported by prominent news sources like Variety last summer, he is playing Sentry, Marvel’s dark interpretation of Superman; this seemingly got confirmed when, in the teaser, a brief glimpse of the classic S belt of Sentry was seen. However, it looks like Sentry will not be the main villain instead, as the twist in the trailer showcases a more profound, sinister picture. The teaser of the film also sparked a question among fans: is it a blunt copy of DC’s Suicide Squad, which has a similar theme to this that was released in 2016?
Is Thunderbolts* is just a copy of the Suicide Squad film?
The teaser, however, seems to debunk this aspect, as the films have some differences.
| Difference between Thunderbolts and Suicide Squad | |
| Suicide Squad | Thunderbolts* |
| Suicide Squad didn’t have a significant impact on DCEU through their events. | However, the teaser of Thunderbolts indicates that the film will significantly impact future MCU projects. |
| In Suicide Squad, the main characters like Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Deadshot, and Katana appeared for the first time in DCEU. | However, in The Thunderbolts the lead characters like John Walker, Bucky, and Yelena Belova were already introduced in previous MCU projects. |
| Due to being introduced for the first time, the main characters didn’t have any deep narrative arc from the beginning. | In The Thunderbolts, characters like Bucky Barnes have a deep narrative arc from being a brainwashed assassin to seeking redemption. |
| The film’s title doesn’t contain hyphens like an asterisk, which hints at some potential secret or significant change in the DCEU. | The film’s title contains an asterisk, which is * hints that there are some bigger plans behind the scenes. |
Why does Thunderbolts* contain an asterisk?
However, one of the questions that has been plunged into fans’ minds is why they used the asterisk, which is *. One of the common speculations or rumors regarding this is that Thunderbolt’s name is for a temporary amount of time, and the team will eventually get a new name, Dark Avengers. In the comics, Dark Avengers was a team created by Norman Osborn, which consisted of bad guys assembling the role of heroes. Since most of them were villains in their early outings and the Avengers have been disbanded since Avengers Endgame, the government introducing their own Avengers through this is justified.
The cast of Thunderbolts*
| The main star cast of Thunderbolts | |
| Actor | Character |
| Sebastian Stan | Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier |
| Florence Pugh | Yelena Belova / Black Widow |
| Wyatt Russell | John Walker / U.S. Agent |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Valentina Allegra de Fontaine |
| Olga Kurylenko | Taskmaster |
| Hannah John-Kamen | Ghost |
| David Harbour | Red Guardian |
| Lewis Pullman | The Sentry / Bob Reynolds |
Watch the trailer here –
FAQ
When will Thunderbolt* be released?
The film is scheduled to release on 2 May 2025.
Who directed the Thunderbolts film of Marvel?
It is directed by Jack Schreier.
Who is on the cast of the Thunderbolts film?
It starts an ensemble cast consisting of avid Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, and Florence Pugh..
Who is the owner of the Avengers Tower?
However, in the teaser, it is seemingly revealed that the owner of the Avengers Tower is none other than Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The director of the CIA in the MCU.
When will Sentry appear in the MCU?
As reported by prominent news sources like Variety last summer, Lewis Pullman is playing Sentry, Marvel’s dark interpretation of Superman; this seemingly got confirmed when, in the teaser of Thunderbolts, a brief glimpse of the classic S belt of Sentry was seen.
Is Thunderbolts* is a copy of Suicide Squad?
The teaser, however, seems to debunk this aspect, as the films have some differences.
Why is there an asterisk on the Thunderbolts* title?
One of the common speculations or rumors regarding this is that Thunderbolt’s name is for a temporary amount of time, and the team will eventually get a new name, Dark Avengers.
