Who Are Thunderbolts & Why They Are Important in the MCU, Explained
Thunderbolts* is almost here, but who are these mysterious villains/heroes and what is their backstory? Here are all the details you need to know before watching the new Marvel movie.
Thunderbolts* is a major new Marvel Studios project by Jake Schreier that completes the fifth phase of the cinematic universe and will be released on May 2.
This is the studio's first team movie not built around the Avengers. Who are all these people, why are they so important, and what were the Thunderbolts like in the comics – we'll tell you right now.
Thunderbolts' Backstory in the Comics
The Thunderbolts first appeared in the comics in 1997 in Incredible Hulk #449. Due to a misunderstanding, they clashed with the Hulk. A month later, the team was given a solo comic book series called Thunderbolts.
In the very first issue, readers were treated to a plot twist: the Thunderbolts are not heroes, but supervillains who have decided to finally get revenge on their old enemies.
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In the late 1990s, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four disappeared after a battle with Onslaught. The world needed new defenders, and the Thunderbolts came to the rescue.
The team was led by Citizen V, the heir to the hero who fought the Nazis during World War II. But it was actually Baron Helmut Zemo, hiding his identity under the mask of one of his old enemies.
Zemo's goal was to gain access to the technology of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and other influential superheroes in order to sell it. But his team wanted to become real heroes, which went against Zemo's plans. As a result, he disbanded the team after revealing the truth to the world.
Thunderbolts Have Had Different Members and Leaders Over the Years
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But that was not the end of the Thunderbolts. The composition of the team has changed many times over the years. It has included famous villains such as Venom, Bullseye, and Taskmaster.
Leaders have included Luke Cage and even Wilson Fisk. The latter used the Thunderbolts when he was mayor of New York.
Who Will Appear in the Thunderbolts* Marvel Movie?
The team includes six characters:
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Winter Soldier – has an adamantium hand, super-soldier skills, and the thinking of a seasoned military man;
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Black Widow – has combat and agility skills similar to Natasha Romanoff;
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U.S. Agent – a super-soldier who ingested a copy of the serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America;
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Red Guardian – the Soviet version of Captain America, stronger than a normal human, but not very emotionally stable;
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Taskmaster – a Soviet mercenary who can copy the fighting techniques of any opponent;
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Ghost – can walk through walls and pass objects through herself.
The leader of the team is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She has appeared in several previous projects, each time offering superheroes a second chance – membership on a government team.
The Thunderbolts Will Face Doctor Doom Alongside the Avengers in Doomsday
Marvel recently lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding its upcoming global crossover – the movie Avengers: Doomsday, which will be released on May 1, 2026.
In it, superheroes will face a new threat from another universe – Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. There are no details yet, but the studio has already announced part of the cast.
Among the superheroes we can see all the Thunderbolts except Taskmaster – many fans consider this fact as a spoiler for the fate of the character in the upcoming Thunderbolts*.
What will Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and the rest do in the upcoming Doomsday? Just like in Avengers: Endgame, all the superheroes available at the time were needed to fight Thanos, this time everyone will unite to confront Doom.
