Thunderbolts: Release date, cast, plot & more

Cameron Frew
Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts is an upcoming MCU superhero movie based on the comic book series of the same name. Here’s what we know about production so far, including release date, and cast.

Acting as one of the main events for the second half of the MCU’s Phase 6, Thunderbolts will see a group of villains/morally questionable super people come together in a Suicide Squad-esque mission.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been in a bit of tailspin since the company was forced to fire Kang actor Jonathan Majors following his guilty verdict in an assault case, but the hope is for Thunderbolts to get everyone back on track.

As the project appears to be trundling towards its forthcoming premiere (largely) without incident, let’s take a look at everything we know about the movie so far.

Thunderbolts release date: When is it coming out?

Thunderbolts will premiere in cinemas on May 2, 2025.

The movie was most recently supposed to be released on July 25, 2025, but this spot has now been taken by Fantastic Four.

Disney and Marvel previously rescheduled the film to December 20, 2024, only to bring its release forward following the end of the Hollywood strikes. The initial reshuffle was itself five months later than Thunderbolts’ original July 2024 release date (per The Hollywood Reporter).

As mentioned above, Thunderbolts was originally supposed to be the final movie in Phase Five, before Fantastic Four kicked off Phase Six. Following the Phase Five and Six rejig, Thunderbolts will now arrive after that film and before the MCU’s Blade reboot.

It seems like the movie is on schedule for its original premiere date as star Florence Pugh confirmed that filming has already begun while attending the Dune 2 premiere in New York.

Thunderbolts explained: Who are they?

The Thunderbolts are essentially Marvel’s answer to DC’s Suicide Squad: a team of villains and antiheroes who find themselves fighting on the side of the angels.

The original Thunderbolts line-up made its comics debut in a 1997 issue of The Incredible Hulk and went on to headline their own, self-titled series. This incarnation of the team was actually the Masters of Evil operating under superhero aliases, as part of one of Baron Zemo’s evil schemes.

A Thunderbolts comic book cover.
The Thunderbolts have evolved since 1997.

However, the baddies soon discovered they enjoyed being heroes and revolted against Zemo. And while the team’s roster has changed over the past 20-plus years, the Thunderbolts’ status as a home for reformed baddies remains a constant.

The team started out with the following members:

  • Baron Zemo
  • Beetle
  • Fixer
  • Goliath
  • Moonstone
  • Screaming Mimi

Zemo’s successors in the leadership role include:

  • Clint Barton/Hawkeye
  • Norman Osborne/The Green Goblin
  • Luke Cage
  • Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
  • Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
  • Thunderbolt Ross

In terms of members, the following villains have been associated with the Thunderbolts:

  • Taskmaster
  • Venom
  • Ghost
  • Crossbones
  • Juggernaut
  • Doctor Octopus
  • Abomination.

Several superheroes, including the Punisher, US Agent, Elektra, Nighthawk, Deadpool, Ghost Rider, and Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady) have ties to the team, as well.

Thunderbolts cast: Who’s in it, and are there any returning characters?

The following stars are officially locked in for Thunderbolts cast:

  • Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
  • Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
  • Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent
  • Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
  • Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
  • David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
  • Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America
  • Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross

As you can see, the film’s core line-up consists entirely of MCU veterans, except for franchise newcomer Harrison Ford. That said, Ford is nevertheless portraying an established character: Thunderbolt Ross, previously played by the late William Hurt.

Thunderbolts was briefly slated to introduce another fresh face to the MCU: Steven Yeun. The Walking Dead alumnus would’ve portrayed Superman pastiche the Sentry, however, he exited the production in January 2024. Top Gun: Maverick’s Lewis Pullman is the frontrunner to replace Yeun, according to THR.

What’s more, a recent report claims that Louis-Dreyfus’ role in Thunderbolts will get the chop. According to the report, director Jake Schreier and one of the film’s credited writers, Lee Sung Jin, axed a scene featuring Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. This change was supposedly instigated to decrease the overlap between Thunderbolts and Phase Five release Captain America: Brave New World.

Louis Dreyfus is still officially part of Thunderbolts’ ensemble at this stage, however.

Thunderbolts plot: What is it about?

There’s currently no official plot synopsis for Thunderbolts. That said, several earlier MCU outings include narrative beats seemingly designed to set the stage for the 2025 blockbuster.

Notably, in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, would-be Captain America John Walker is recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and rebranded as US Agent. This presumably explains Walker’s return under this new moniker in Thunderbolts.

Valentina and US Agent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There's no Thunderbolts release date.
Valentina and US Agent are slated to return in Thunderbolts.

Similarly, 2021’s Black Widow includes a scene in which Valentina is shown acting as Yelena Belova/Black Widow’s handler as well. So, it seems that Val will play a pivotal role in the formation of the MCU’s Thunderbolts, something David Harbour more or less confirmed in a recent interview with Collider.

Harbour also talked up Thunderbolts’ character-driven story, including the relationship between him and his on-screen daughter, Florence Pugh. “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,” he said.

“But all these guys, Sebastian’s character, Wyatt’s character, I just love this mercenary element in the MCU,” Harbour continued. “[The] 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.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Bear showrunner Joanna Calo will be in charge of the script, so the film is sure to be an intense roller coaster with a lot of heart, even if it’s filled with bad guys.

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 a while yet, don’t expect one to drop any time soon, either. We’ll update this space when a trailer is released.

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About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, Oscars enthusiast, and a staunch Scot. He earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University, accredited by the NCTJ and BJTC. He began his career at UNILAD, starting as a Junior Journalist and becoming Entertainment Editor prior to joining Dexerto. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.