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Marvel's latest chapter in it's new phase is about to drop in a week and the excitement is all over the roof! Bringing back another team, and quite a notorious one at that. For this time, the spotlight isn’t on gods, billionaires, or super soldiers with squeaky-clean morals — it’s on the misfits. The ghosts. The ones who’ve bled, betrayed, and broken things far too many times to count.
Enter the Thunderbolts* , not quite heroes, not quite villains, but something messier in between. A stitched-together team of second chances and state-sanctioned chaos. They don’t wear capes; they carry baggage. And as Marvel hands them the keys to a crumbling world, they'll open new doors and watch the chaos spill out.
Starring Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent, the new film is all set to be a powerhouse of Marvel nostalgia and the grandeur that the studio is so much famous for. As fans get ready for the latest, ragged adventure, here's a trip down memory lane to get a quick reminder of some of the characters that will be driving the plot for Thunderbolts*. Here are five movies you need to catch up on before you tune into Marvel's latest masterpiece.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger, Winter Soldier establishes the character arc and plotline of the Winter Soldier, aka Bucky Barnes, who will be marking his return in Thunderbolts*. The film revolves around Steve Rogers, aka Captain America's longstanding battle with Hydra and the Winter Soldier, who he recognises as Barnes, his friend from his earlier years (who makes an appearance in The First Avenger as well)
The film forms the plot on Bucky and his identity as the Winter Soldier and how he was brainwashed in multiple ways to perform heinous acts for Hydra. If you're excited about Barnes' return as the Winter Soldier in Thunderbolts*, you should most definitely get back to his origins to understand the weight of his journey. His transformation from a young soldier to a weapon of war, stripped of his will and manipulated into carrying out atrocities, is a story of lost identity, redemption, and the haunting scars of the past.
Black Widow
Black Widow establishes three of the central characters that will make an appearance in Thunderbolts*: Yelena Belova/Black Widow, Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov. Forming the foundation of the Black Widows and their struggles, the film opens to show how Yelena and Natasha lived with Alexei as his daughter but is later revealed to be a cover as they were secretly part of a deep-rooted sleeper agent mission orchestrated by the Soviet Union. Beneath the surface of their seemingly normal family life, Yelena and Natasha were trained and manipulated into becoming deadly assassins, their innocence a mere illusion.
We get to see Yelena's transformation from an ally of the Red Room under it's manipulation to slowly breaking free from it as she discovers her own freedom- something she will probably be excercising in Thunderbolts*. We're also introduced to Antonia Dreykov, who becomes Taskmaster after a traumatic encounter with Natasha Romanoff. Antonia, the daughter of the Red Room's leader, Dreykov, is used as a weapon and subjected to mind-altering procedures that erase her memory and control her actions. She has the ability to mimic anyone’s fighting style by observing them, making her a formidable adversary to anyone she encounters. It would certainly be interesting to see how this power is utilized in Thunderbolts*.
Avengers: Infinity War
Apart from being one of the most epic cinematic adventures in Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War also serves as another backstory for Bucky Barnes as it is in this film where he loses his Hydra programming, thanks to the people of Wakanda. This is also where he gets a new identity- the White Wolf, as the people of Wakanda call him.
In Infinity War, we also see Bucky fighting alongside the Avengers, taking on Thanos and his forces in the fight to protect the universe. His relationship with the Wakandans, particularly Shuri, showcases the deep trust that has developed between him and the people who helped him escape his past. It would certainly be interesting to witness how Bucky makes his comeback to be a part of a team again. Bonus points: Do we even need a good reason to rewatch Infinity War again? The Russo's cinematically marvelous aspects of the film are good enough to bring us back for a rewatch.
Captain America: Brave New World
Of course, the last film that Marvel churned out would be an important asset if you're readying up for the Thunderbolts*. Bucky Barnes' last appearance shows him running for Congress and reconciling with Sam Wilson's Captain America. This shift in Bucky’s arc represents his continued quest for redemption, as he seeks to make amends for the darker chapters of his past while embracing a new role in society. As he moves away from his troubled history as the Winter Soldier, Bucky's political aspirations could point to his involvement in future MCU storylines, where he navigates the complexities of governance, accountability, and leadership.
Additionallyy, Thunderbolts* might also feature Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross, which would be a pretty fitting appearance, considering the team's name being his namesake.
Avengers: Endgame
Before we meet the ensemble who will most likely become our new favorite team of misfits, a last recount of the Avengers' last battle together should absolutely be a necessity. The film that altered the MCU forever as we said goodbye to some of our favorite heroes will forever remain the biggest placeholder in Marvel, even as numerous other teams come along.
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Avengers: Endgame gave fans what felt like a tear jerking goodbye as the ensemble we loved and grew with for years went their separate ways. Which is what makes the Thunderbolts* assembling all the more exciting as we get to revive the feeling of a found family coming together- not as polished heroes, but as fractured individuals with bruised pasts and blurred morals.
Thunderbolts* is set to release on May 2, 2025.
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