If you’ve been wondering what Marvel has up their sleeve when it comes to Marvel’s Thunderbolts, then this is for you. We’ve put together all the information about the comic that is relevant for next year and how it will tie into the MCU in general.
Earlier today, Kevin Feige announced that a new team of superheroes would be introduced in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with a 2020 release date. It all smiled on the set of the film, so it seemed safe to assume that the new characters would debut in 2020. However, Twitter has begun to leak information about a team-up movie for next year.
What is “Thunderbolts”?
“Thunderbolts” is a team of superheroes created by Marvel. They first appeared in 1997 in a three-issue mini-series, which was published under the “Marvel Knights” imprint. The initial idea was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.
Originally, they were just four villains recruited by General Ross to join his new team called Thunderbolts. The idea was to send them on dangerous missions that would enable Team Red Hulk to gain experience without risking other lives. After the first arc, other characters such as Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) and Ant-Man (Scott Lang) joined the team.
Who is in the “Thunderbolts”?
The “Thunderbolts” team includes:
- Abomination (Tim Roth)
- America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez)
- Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl)
- Beetle (Claire Rushbrook)
- Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)
- Crossbones (Frank Grillo)
- Flash Thompson/Agent Venom (Tony Revolori)
- Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)
- Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)
- Monica Rambeau (Teyona Paris)
- Samuel Sterns/The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson)
- Shocker (Bokeem Woodbine)
- Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)
- US Agent (Wyatt Russell)
- Whiplash (Mickey Rourke)
Possibilities from the Defenders series:
- punisher
- Bullseye (Wilson Bethel)
- Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir)
- Elektra (Élodie Yung)
- Luke Cage (Mike Colter)
- Punisher (Jon Bernthal)
- Characters from the X-Men universe:
- Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds)
- Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu)
- Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones, or the fully-CGI version)
- And from Sony’s Spider-Man universe, aka SPUMC:
- doc-ock-no-way-home
- Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina)
- Electro (Jamie Foxx)
- Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe)
- Rhino (Paul Giamatti)
- Venom (Tom Hardy)
- ghost-rider
Why were the “Thunderbolts” formed?
The “Thunderbolts” was formed to show that no one is exempt from arrest, with the majority of members having grudges against superheroes. They were first introduced in New York City, but they will likely appear in other places as well. In their initial story arc, the main target was a group of supervillains hiding out in a Hydra base.
What is the “Thunderbolts” plan for Captain America?
The “Thunderbolts” may attempt Captain America’s life, given that he is believed to be dead at this point. He was last seen being sent into space (via Project PEGASUS) at the end of Avengers: Infinity War by Thanos, so the world believes he does not exist anymore. Two other Marvel films were in production during the events of Infinity War, which would make it easier to hide his death.
How do Captain America and the “Thunderbolts” connect?
There are three theories on how this could happen;
1) The “Thunderbolts” will kidnap Cap from a foreign location to bring him back to America. He could have become a special prisoner for them to show the world that he is not dead. However, it is unlikely that the Avengers would allow him to be taken anywhere without any effort being made to save him; in fact, it would probably result in a war with the Thunderbolts.
2) The “Thunderbolts” will kidnap Cap and bring him to their base. They will keep him prisoner and use his unique gifts against the world. Perhaps they would use those gifts to torture him, showing the world that he was alive. In this scenario, create a new hero by finding a new alien or extraterrestrial who could be trained to become another Captain America.
3) The “Thunderbolts” capture Cap before he leaves the Avengers and try to brainwash him into being their new leader.
If the “Thunderbolts” were to succeed at any of these, they would attempt Captain America’s life to get him out of the way. It is also possible that Captain America could be killed by a new villain or villainous organization later in the film.
What else should we expect from “Thunderbolts”?
The members of the “Thunderbolts” may be used as a distraction while villains such as Thanos or Doctor Doom try to escape from prison or attack New York City (and possibly other cities). This would enable Thanos or Doom to take out other superheroes while they are busy dealing with their issues.
