Thunderbolts*: Marvel reveals more action with new trailer for the upcoming superhero film

The high-powered action trailer of Marvel Cinematic Universe's upcoming superhero film Thunderbolts* has just dropped.

Directed by Jake Schreier, who has previously directed films including Robot & Frank (2012), Paper Towns (2015), and also episodes in TV series such as Shameless (2011-2021) and Beef (2023-present), to name a few, this time comes with the upcoming action-packed Marvel movie, Thunderbolts*. The film is set to make its theatrical release on May 2, 2025.

Thunderbolts* follows the plot of a unit of people who are not 'superheroes' per se, but are assigned the hefty responsibility of saving the world from an immediate threat.

The plotline of Thunderbolts* as per IMDb reads:

"CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine lures Marvel's team of antiheroes into a death trap, where the dysfunctional group must confront their respective pasts if they want to survive as an ensemble."

Thunderbolts*: Marvel reveals more action with new trailer for the upcoming superhero film

The trailer of Thunderbolts* is released, and it does not give an idea of a conventional superhero story at all, but rather a group of people who are opposite of the term 'superhero', that is, the antiheroes.

In the opening of the trailer, we witness Valentina Allegra de Fontaine announcing that they require a new set of heroes to safeguard America, since "the Avengers are not coming". This line itself is enough to spark intrigue amongst the audience.

That is when the arrival of the antiheroes commences, when a team of people, rather than abducted, are brought in together and are assigned the responsibility to protect people from a particular danger, which has not been disclosed in the trailer.

Going by the trailer, it seems like the story is about a group of misfits who, despite having challenges together as a team, navigate their way out in unity for the greater good.

The characters' interactions highlight conversations related to sins and the past when Yelena Belova mentions in the trailer of Thunderbolts*:

"Everyone here has done bad things. You can't escape your past"

Thunderbolts* indicates to be a story touching upon themes of community care, ensemble building, and unity, where people who are brought together by fate (actually force), go through a transformative and introspective journey where they reckon with their past, and make a triumphant journey together, especially at the brink of time when people around were questioning their potential the most.

It is compelling to witness an imperfect journey of a community of people who are flawed and might be misunderstood, which is a more nuanced portrayal of superheroism and also ought to be more relatable to people.

One of the most unique aspects of Thunderbolts*, which should not be missed out on at any cost, is in its title- the added asterisk (*) attached to the movie title. As per The Direct, the makers of Thunderbolts* have kept its reasoning under wraps, which hints that it certainly has a covert, important meaning behind it.

Thunderbolts* consists of a brilliant cast of actors, out of which, the main cast is returning with their roles in the MCU, which includes the Academy Award-nominated actor Florence Pugh, starring in the role of Yelena Belova.

Along with her, we have the Golden Globes nominated actors Sebastian Stan and David Harbour, who shall be seen in their roles as MCU's Bucky Barnes and Red Guardian, respectively.

Joining them, we have Wyatt Russell returning back to Thunderbolts*, in his portrayal of John Walker a.k.a. US Agent, along with Olga Kurylenko arriving as Antonia Dreykov a.k.a. Taskmaster, and Hannah-John Kamen essaying the role of Ava Starr a.k.a Ghost.

For the role of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, we shall witness the legendary actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has also previously appeared in the same role in the MCU film series.

As per reports at Screenrant, for the character of President Thaddeus Ross, Harrison Ford shall be reprising his role, where he shall also be in the same role in the forthcoming Captain America: Brave New World (2025).

The new cast members of Thunderbolts* include Lewis Pullman in the role of Bob a.k.a. Sentry, Geraldine Vishwanathan, and many others.