Thunderbolts: Release Date, Cast, Plot And More

One of the most unexpected and most anticipated titles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far is Thunderbolts. This team is incredibly popular in the comics, and fans always assumed it would be difficult to pull this off the movies but Marvel Studios is here to prove them wrong.

Not a lot of people realized that the Thunderbolts had actually begun to form and set up early in Phase 4 of the MCU with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and we’ll talk more about that later. Although the release of Thunderbolts isn’t near and there are several projects lined up prior to it, this one might just take the cake of Phase 5. 

As per sources, It will be the official conclusion to Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which is set and ready to begin in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Even though Thunderbolts is supposed to be the concluding movie of Phase 5, Marvel could once again present us with a surprise holiday special, like it did in Phase 4. We were all convinced that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be the last installment of Phase 4, however, it ended with the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and it was the perfect Christmas treat.

But right now, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about Thunderbolts, from the speculated plot, to the cast, to the release date and more:

Everett Ross will appear in #Thunderbolts#MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/y5xnbF2IpC

— Marvel Updates (@marvel_updat3s) December 10, 2022

Who Are The Thunderbolts?

Before we begin talking about the movie which will be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is always good to have a little background on who the Thunderbolts actually are, especially in the comics.

We can see Marvel Studios take on more projects that are closer to the comics, so it is highly possible that the movie will also have some similarities to the comics, and if so, we’re in for a ride! Now, the Avengers have been the most famous superhero team in the comics and the movies, and we have loved them for the longest time.

Now, Marvel Studios is introducing us to the Thunderbolts, who are in the infamous anti-hero team in the Marvel comics, so forget everything you know about the Avengers because we have a new team in town!

In the comics, Baron Zemo is the founder of the Thunderbolts, and originally, they were presented as a group of superheroes, and the major twist was that they are actually villains.

Over the years, the movie have been led by several powerful supervillains and have fought and defeated many superheroes, and we’re going to see a lot of this in the upcoming movie, Thunderbolts. In the comics, the original Thunderbolts consisted of Baron Zemo, Songbird, Techno, Hawkeye, and Ogre amongst several others.

Over the years, the teams have changed, some characters have stayed, and new ones have been introduced. Some household names that you might recognize are Nighthawk, Doctor Octopus, Ghost, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Luke Cage, Deadpool, Red Hulk, and Winter Soldier.

These are only the tip of the iceberg. The history and deeds of the Thunderbolts are way more vast, and we highly recommend reading the comics if you want to know more about them.

What Is The Plot of Thunderbolts Going to Be?

Marvel has been particular about not revealing the plot of the movie because it could give away plenty of secrets about Phase 6 and that’s the last thing that they would want. However, based on a few sources and information, we have a few theories about what the Thunderbolts movie might be about.

For starters, we know it is an origin story, of how the Thunderbolts came together. The popular Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Solider plays an important role in the Thunderbolts movie for several reasons.

Firstly, Baron Zemo. At the end of the series, he was put into the maximum-security prison aka the Raft, but despite that, he still managed to win, which proved that Zemo might be just one of the smartest men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Since he is the original founder of the Thunderbolts in the comics, we could see him in the movie as well, assembling a team of anti-heroes or supervillains.

Another important part of The Falcon and the Winter Solider is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who appeared towards the end of the series, and also in the Black Widow movie, and those two appearances are crucial.

In the series, we see Valentina approach John Walker, which gives rise to U.S. Agent. And in the post-credit scene of Black Widow, we see Valentina approaching Yelena Belova, and essentially hiring her as an assassin.

By this, we can gather that Valentine could also possibly bring a team together. These are the two directions Thunderbolts can go in, however, considering how Valentina has been presented in Phase 4, she will most likely be an important part of Thunderbolts.

The Cast of Thunderbolts

The cast of movie will probably give away more about the movie than any other details, so let’s dive into it. We have Florence Pugh reprising her role as Yelena Belova, aka the new Black Widow, and is the perfect example of an anti-hero. Joining her will be David Harbour as Red Guardian, who first appeared in the Black Widow movie, along with Pugh.

He is a super soldier and an anti-hero, who will probably be one of the older Thunderbolts, and will hopefully bring a little comic element in an otherwise serious movie. The next casting has left fans confused and almost a little sad. Sebastian Stan will be reprising his role as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier.

Fans were thrilled to hear that Stan will be returning, but what they aren’t pleased with is the fact that he might be the bad guy in the upcoming movie. Bucky has been through a lot and comes out stronger, and fans were hoping to see him in Captain America: New World Order, but instead he has been cast in Thunderbolts. So, it will be interesting to see how that pans out.

Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Hannah John-Kamen will also be joining the cast of Thunderbolts. It is also highly possible that we see Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross in the upcoming movie, since Red Hulk has previously been a part of thunderbolts in the comics.

Lastly, this hasn’t been confirmed or even mentioned by Marvel, but do the Thunderbolts even make sense without Baron Zemo? Fans are really hoping to see Daniel Brühl reprise this role in the upcoming movie.

When and Where Can You Watch Thunderbolts?

Since Thunderbolts is the last installment of Phase 5, the release date is still a while away. You can watch the Thunderbolts on the big screen on the 26^th of July, 2024. Subsequently, the movie will be available to watch on Disney+ as well.

Is There a Trailer for Thunderbolts?

As of now, there is no official trailer for the Thunderbolts, but we will make sure this section stays updated when that happens!

Conclusion

If you think you are ready for the Thunderbolts, think again! This has been one of the most anticipated titles and we can’t wait to see what it brings to the table.

Do let us know in the comments which comic character you’d like to see in Thunderbolts.