Now that a Thunderbolts film is actually being made for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, find out what we know about the film's plot, actors, and release date.
Thunderbolts team members in split screen
Here's all we know about Marvel's Thunderbolts so far, including the cast, the release date, and the plot, despite years of rumours to the contrary.
Marvel Studios has a long history of looking to the independent film community for directors, and with the casting of Jake Schreier to helm the Thunderbolts feature, that trend will continue.
The long-rumoured project will eventually become canon after announcements at SDCC and the D23 Expo in 2022.
Fans of Marvel films had long hypothesised that the Thunderbolts would make an appearance in the MCU, long before the film's existence was confirmed and the actors announced.
Part of this is due to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's subtle recruitment strategy throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow, and part of it is due to the stalwart presence of Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, who audiences believe deserves more of a leadership role than what he has been given to date.
The introduction of morally ambiguous new characters, Marvel's darker tone in Phase 3, and the commercial success of DC's The Suicide Squad all lent credence to the rumour that a Thunderbolts film would be in the works.
To be expected from a Marvel Studios production, the Thunderbolts MCU film will diverge significantly from the Marvel Comics source material.
However, many of the film's key players have already been confirmed, and much of the necessary infrastructure for a Thunderbolts movie has already been built in the MCU behind the scenes.
Read on to find out all the details regarding the upcoming Marvel film Thunderbolts.
In the comic books, the Thunderbolts are an organisation of former bad guys who have become good.
Baron Zemo formed the original team when the Avengers were eliminated, but the public didn't know that the new Thunderbolts were truly his Masters of Evil.
However, as time progresses, the Thunderbolts come to appreciate the attention they receive as heroes and do away with Zemo as their commander.
Just like every other comic book super team, the Thunderbolts have gone through several rosters and leadership changes over the years.
The Thunderbolts have always had a more morally ambiguous reputation than the Avengers, and this hasn't changed.
Over the years, the Thunderbolts comic book team has had a steady stream of new recruits join the ranks.
However, several actors who have appeared in (or left) the Marvel Cinematic Universe have ties to the comic book team.
This includes former Thunderbolts team leaders including Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Daniel Brühl's Baron Zemo, Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Mike Colter's Luke Cage, Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe).
The official cast of Marvel's Thunderbolts was announced at the 2022 D23 Expo, therefore most of these are unlikely to show up.
Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova (Floriane Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Contessa Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are the members of the Thunderbolts.
While more comic book characters may make cameo appearances or be introduced to the team in the future, for the time being, this is the core MCU Thunderbolts lineup.
The Thunderbolts script is still in the works, and at this time we know very little about the film's plot.
Still, the MCU can take a number of different approaches.
Considering how the events of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" left the door open for more of Baron Zemo in the future, it's not out of the question that the MCU may adapt the comics' version of the team's origin narrative, in which Zemo recruits a band of villains dressed as heroes.
Now that Contessa Val is involved and Baron Zemo appears to be playing both sides (though he has been conspicuously absent from announcements), it seems more likely that Marvel will skip the villain beginnings and make the squad outright antiheroes and other heroes who have fallen from favour.
It's unknown what they would encounter, but it wouldn't be surprising if the plot of the Thunderbolts movie was established in at least one Disney+ programme.
Director Jake Schreier was named for the 2022 Thunderbolts film, and Black Widow's Eric Pearson is writing the story.
Production on the film is scheduled to kick up in the summer of 2023, with a tentative release date of July 26, 2024.
Marvel has a full slate of projects and a busy release schedule, which means that plans for the future may shift, but hopefully won't.
Marvel's Thunderbolts has a special place at the end of Phase 5 since it stars characters who have been presented extensively but marks the foundation of a brand new team.
So, it will be a major watershed moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
