Here’s everything we know about the Thunderbolts movie, from its release date to cast, plot and other details about the MCU’s supervillain movie.
On July 23, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige took to the stage at San Diego Comic-Con for the first time in three years. As Hall H attendees sat with bated breath, and the rest of us waited for their tweets at home, nobody could have expected the number of reveals that we ended up getting.
First of all, Feige announced that Phase Four would conclude with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this year. Secondly, he unveiled the entirety of Phase Five, stretching to the end of 2024. Thirdly, he teased three movies in Phase Six, including two Avengers films in one year.
While not discussed in detail, Thunderbolts is clearly set to be one of the most significant films in the franchise’s future, so here’s what we know so far, including its release date.
Thunderbolts release date: When is it coming out?
Thunderbolts is due for release in cinemas on July 26, 2024.
It will be the final movie of Phase Four before Fantastic Four kicks off Phase Six on November 8, 2024. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars will then release on May 2, 2025, and November 7, 2025, respectively.
Here's Phase 5 of the MCU pic.twitter.com/7Gts6fsKAz
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In terms of movies, the only big-screen MCU release in 2024 other than Thunderbolts is Captain America: New World Order on May 3.
Thunderbolts explained: Who are they?
In the simplest terms, the Thunderbolts are Marvel’s Suicide Squad, with one iteration of the team named after Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross, earlier played by the late William Hurt.
They first debuted in a 1997 issue of The Incredible Hulk. “After the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes appeared to die during the Onslaught incident, Baron Zemo concocted a devious plan to take advantage of the resulting chaos by disguising his Masters of Evil as superheroes,” the team’s Marvel biography reads.
“While the ruse didn’t last forever, the concept of the team did, and the Thunderbolts have existed in one form or another ever since.”
The team started off with the following members: Baron Zemo, Beetle, Fixer, Goliath, Moonstone, and Screaming Mimi. It has evolved over the years, as well as having other leaders in Zemo’s absence such as Hawkeye, Norman Osborne, Luke Cage, Winter Soldier, Wilson Fisk, and Thunderbolt Ross.
In terms of members, the following villains have been associated with the Thunderbolts: Taskmaster, Venom, Ghost, Crossbones, Juggernaut, Doctor Octopus, and Abomination. There’s also been the likes of The Punisher, US Agent, Elektra, Nighthawk, Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and Eric O’Grady’s Ant-Man.
Thunderbolts cast: Who’s in it, and are there any returning characters?
The following stars have been confirmed for the Thunderbolts cast:
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
- Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster
- Wyatt Russell as US Agent
- Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
- David Harbour as Red Guardian
- Anthony Mackie as Captain America
Harrison Ford is also expected to star as General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross following his debut in Captain America: New World Order, filling the role once played by the late William Hurt. However, a new leak says it won’t be the same Thunderbolt Ross we’ve seen before – he’ll be President of the United States, who also happens to be Red Hulk.
For Julia Louis-Dreyfus, her turn as Valentina is one that many may not have been expecting. After all, the actor is best known for her iconic comedy roles in the likes of Seinfeld and Veep. However, it appears she is looking forward to having a starring role in an MCU film. In an interview with Collider, she spoke about her role in the upcoming Thunderbolts film and how her kids had a major influence in her taking the job.
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“They’re interested in this, of course. But the point is that, for years, both of my boys have been saying, “Mom, why don’t you do a Marvel movie? Do a Marvel movie. Do a Marvel movie.” And I’m like, “Oh, they’re not going to pick me for a Marvel movie.” And then they did. And I was like, “Oh yeah. Now my boys are going to be psyched.”
On February 23, 2023, Deadline reported that former The Walking Dead cast member Steven Yeun was joining the cast of the Thunderbolts. According to this new report, Yeun will join the MCU in “a part that is not only significant to this film but could also play a role going forward in future films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Jake Schreier, who earlier directed Paper Towns has been tapped to direct the script penned by Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson.
Thunderbolts plot: What is it about?
Given the decades-spanning stories of the Thunderbolts and the tidbits of information we have about the film, there’s no confirmed plot details about Thunderbolts at the time of writing.
However, seeds have been sowed, in hindsight. At the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which showed Wyatt Russell’s John Walker disastrously taking on the Captain America mantle, only to be recruited by Valentina, rebranded as US Agent.
In the post-credits scene of Black Widow, Yelena was assigned to kill Clint Barton by Valentina, for whom she blamed Natasha’s death in Avengers: Infinity War.
It seems the MCU is heading towards a team similar to the Dark Avengers, orchestrated by the shadiest echelons of the government. As Amanda Waller said in Suicide Squad, “I wanna build a team of some very bad people who I think can do some good.”
According to actor David Harbour, the film will focus a lot on the characters and them developing as a haphazard team. He stated to Collider, “It’s really cool. We introduce a thing that’s super cool. It’s vital. I’m psyched that Julia Louis Dreyfus’ character is going to be, in a bigger way, explored. One of the things you’ll probably know is that the ‘me and Florence’ dynamic will be in there and explored in a way that’s really cool.
“But all these guys, Sebastian’s character, Wyatt’s character, I just love this mercenary element in the MCU. MCU has always been sort of elevated in a certain way. Captain America, even Iron Man, although he has egos, are always in it for the right reasons or ultimately does the right thing.
“And I like these guys who are a bunch of losers or a bunch of guys who can’t quite get it right. And so far what [Marvel has] pitched me just feels really cool.”
Thunderbolts trailer: Is there a trailer, and where can I watch it?
There’s no official Thunderbolts trailer at the time of writing. As the movie isn’t due out for another two years, don’t expect one to drop any time soon – but we’ll update this space when a trailer is released.
We’ll update this article upon further announcements.