Thunderbolts* (yes, the asterisk is necessary) introduces us to a brand new team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With the future of the Avengers on hold until the double-whammy of Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), it's time to meet the new band of miscreants making up the eponymous Thunderbolts squad. Here's the first trailer.
As you may have gathered, we've met all of these individuals before in different guises on the big and small screens. With Thunderbolts acting as a key movie in Marvel Phase Five, here's what you need to know about the characters.
Yelena Belova
Played by Florence Pugh
We were introduced to Yelena in the 2021 Marvel film Black Widow. It was established that Yelena was a compatriot of the titular Black Widow/Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) and both women had to reconcile with their dark Soviet training in the notorious 'Red Room'.
In the Thunderbolts trailer, Yelena refers to David Harbour's Alexei (scroll down to find out more) as 'father'. Are we to take this literally or is it just a figure of speech? Both characters had an affectionate relationship in the Black Widow movie but it remains to be seen if they have blood ties.
Alexei Shostakov
Played by David Harbour
The affably gruff and bear-like Alexei made a strong impression in the Black Widow movie where he was established as an ex-colleague of Black Widow, Yelena Belova and Melina Vostakoff (Rachel Weisz, who is expected to appear in Thunderbolts).
Alexei is (or was) the Soviet Union counterpart to Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and goes by the alias Red Guardian.
Ava Starr/Ghost
Played by Hannah John Kamen
Introduced in 2018's Ant-Man and The Wasp, Ghost is a victim of an experiment that caused molecular instability in her body. As a result, she can pass through solid matter. This will undoubtedly prove useful when she joins the Thunderbolts team.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Played by Julia Louis Dreyfus
The nefarious Valentina dipped in and out of the Marvel movies before finally staking her claim in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Valentina is a CIA agent with connections to Yelena and John Walker (scroll down to find out more) but appears to have her own agenda.
Bucky Barnes
Played by Sebastian Stan
Here's a character we're familiar with. The tragic Bucky Barnes died in World War II combat during the events of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Decades later, he was resurrected by the evil corporation Hydra and retooled as the brainwashed Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), squaring off against his one-time best friend Steve Rogers.
Once Bucky came to his senses, it was revealed in 2016's Captain America: Civil War that he had a hand in the deaths of Tony Stark/Iron Man's (Robert Downey Jr) parents. Bucky later went to ground in the vibranium-rich kingdom of Wakanda, helped the Avengers fight Thanos (John Brolin) and ended up pairing with the new iteration of Captain America, Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Wilson comes to the fore in Captain America: Brave New World, due for release on February 14th, 2025.
John Walker/U.S. Agent
Played by Wyatt Russell
John Walker is a Captain in the U.S. Army Rangers who takes up the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers steps down. During the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Walker is defeated by Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, allowing Sam to take up the mantle, and Walker is honorably discharged from the Army. He then looks to rebuild the Flag Smashers organisation with the help of Valentine Allegra de Fontaine.
Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
Played by Olga Kurylenko
Taskmaster was set up as the primary villain in 2021's Black Widow and possesses the ability to mirror the abilities of her opponents. Taskmaster was formerly controlled by her father Dreykov (Ray Winstone( to complete missions for the Red Room before being freed by Yelena Belova's adoptive sister Natasha Romanoff during the film's climax.
Thunderbolts* is released on May 2nd. 2025. In the meantime, click the link below to discover 2024's upcoming comic book movies including the soon-to-be-released Joker: Folie a Deux.
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