One of the vital intriguing Marvel releases of 2025 is Thunderbolts*, a thriller that boasts an meeting of the franchise’s anti-heroes. Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Pink Guardian, John Walker, Ghost, Taskmaster, and Valentina de Fontaine kind a bunch not in contrast to the Suicide Squad, and new addition Sentry will get roped into the plot as properly. Every of those characters has historical past within the comics that the movie could discover, most of which is tied to Soviet spy networks HYDRA and the Pink Room. The films have modified some characters greater than others, however that is par for the course for comedian guide diversifications, and will result in intelligent new interpretations on this movie.
In accordance with Marvel 101, Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley created the comedian that first featured the Thunderbolts, a problem of The Unbelievable Hulk. Baron Zemo gathered a group of villains together with Beetle, Moonstone, and Songbird, to pose as a rising band of heroes. They efficiently conned the general public, however as soon as Zemo dropped their façade, a lot of the members turned on him and selected to be the nice guys. The group has misplaced and gained members virtually as continuously as the unique Avengers group; at one level it included Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Luke Cage. The recurring theme is that the Thunderbolts appealed to reformed villains, ex-assassins, or disgraced heroes, these with barely completely different morals to the standard hero groups.
Thunderbolts*
Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier, White Wolf)
Within the authentic Captain America comics, Bucky Barnes was launched as a teenage sidekick to Steve Rogers, a Boy Surprise-type character. He was seemingly killed throughout World Battle II, however years later he returns because the Winter Soldier, primarily HYDRA’s assault canine. Brokers of HYDRA intercepted his physique, changed his broken arm with a steel prosthetic, and administered a model of the serum that reworked Steve Rogers right into a super-soldier. This enhanced his bodily power, pace, and therapeutic issue, and the programming that HYDRA put in made him right into a senseless murderer who might kill a person in a whole bunch of the way.
Ultimately, Bucky manages to beat HYDRA’s psychological conditioning and regain his reminiscences. He spends a while in Wakanda to recuperate, throughout which Shuri refers to him because the White Wolf. Thanos’s snap claimed him as a sufferer in Avengers: Infinity Battle, prompting him to go to a therapist after Endgame. He joined Sam Wilson in taking down the Flag Smashers in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, however has since been slowly returning to his outdated self. In accordance with his actor, Sebastian Stan, Bucky’s psychological state will probably be fairly completely different than the previous couple of instances we have seen him.
Yelena Belova (Former Widow/Pink Room Murderer)
Raised alongside Natasha within the Pink Room, Yelena possesses the identical expertise in fight, espionage, and weaponry. She, too, underwent psychological programming that molded her into the proper murderer. Within the comics, she sees Natasha as a rival and strives to be a greater Black Widow than Natasha ever was. The Black Widow film, nonetheless, exhibits each women raised collectively for a quick interval earlier than their coaching started, demonstrating that they see one another as long-lost sisters. Yelena joins her former household in taking down the Pink Room group and its chief, Dreykov, then decides to construct a life for herself.
Since Natasha’s sacrifice in Endgame, Yelena has been feeling adrift and alone. Within the Hawkeye collection, Valentina provides her the possibility to kill Clint Barton, claiming he’s accountable for Natasha’s dying. When Yelena learns the reality, she alters her thoughts about Clint, however her grief continues to devour her. Within the first trailer, she steps off a constructing, which her actress Florence Pugh reveals at SDCC to be Merdeka 118, the second-tallest constructing on the planet. Yelena seeks consolation in Alexei Shostakov, the closest factor to a father she has, and each of them grow to be members of the Thunderbolts.
Alexei Shostakov (Pink Guardian)
Alexei, previously often known as the Pink Guardian, was a Soviet soldier who was given a model of the Captain America serum that enhanced his power, pace, and sturdiness. His go well with and defend are a mirror of Cap’s, they usually had frequent skirmishes all through the comics. Within the MCU, Alexei (performed by David Harbour) taken care of Natasha and Yelena as kids and introduced them to the Pink Room to be skilled. Years later, they spring him out of jail to assist them end off Dreykov. All through the film, he continually brings up his previous as a hero of Russia and dons his outdated costume to relive fame and glory.
Alexei’s position in Black Widow was primarily comedian reduction, however he cares for his daughters and does his greatest to impart knowledge to Natasha and Yelena. He seems to be doing the identical in Thunderbolts, attempting to be a very good dad for a grieving Yelena. Plenty of key gamers from Black Widow particularly seem on this movie, making it really feel like a sequel and choosing up some free ends it left.
Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov)
Taskmaster was yet one more introduction that got here from Black Widow, and a controversial one at that. The comedian model of Taskmaster is a contract killer named Tony Masters, who trains villains together with his means to repeat the preventing model of any hero or villain he faces. He labored for bigger villains, prison syndicates, and sometimes heroes who paid him sufficient. The movie model, nonetheless, revealed Taskmaster as Antonia Dreykov, the brainwashed daughter of the Pink Room’s high boss. Natasha thought her to be lifeless, however the go well with she wears saved her life and gave her the facility of fight mimicry.
Antonia (performed by Olga Kurylenko) was free of the Pink Room’s conditioning on the finish of Black Widow, however what occurred to her afterward was a thriller till now. She seems within the trailer a lot much less continuously than different members of the Thunderbolts, main some followers to invest that she may not survive the film’s finish. Maybe the response to the deviation from the comics has led Marvel to attempt one thing completely different.
Ghost (Ava Starr)
Making her first look since Ant-Man and the Wasp is Ghost, often known as Ava Starr within the MCU. Ghost is a anonymous male murderer within the comics, who constructed a go well with that permits him to show invisible at will and part via matter. The movie model of Ghost (performed by Hannah John-Kamen) has a extra sympathetic backstory. She is the daughter of Elias Starr (villainous scientist Egghead within the comics) who survived an accident with a particle accelerator. This gave her the powers of matter phasing and intangibility, nevertheless it additionally made her terminally unwell.
SHIELD brokers discovered a technique to heal her briefly, however pressured her to hold out harmful missions and contract kills for them in trade. Ghost ultimately escapes and turns to villainy to discover a treatment for herself, aided by Invoice Foster. In the long run, Invoice slips her some Pym particles from Hank’s lab that would stabilize her well being. She is seen phasing out and in at will whereas preventing within the trailer, suggesting that she has developed stronger management over her powers since Ant-Man 2.
John Walker (U.S. Agent)
After Steve Rogers formally stepped down as Captain America in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the federal government selected John Walker to inherit the title. Walker obtained the super-soldier serum that gave him lots of the similar bodily enhancements as Steve, Bucky, and Alexei. At first, he thrives as the following super-soldier, however the delight and stress of the mantle ultimately will get to his head. Within the comics, Walker provides up the defend to keep away from wrecking the legacy of Captain America, however within the present, he loses management and murders a Flag Smasher on digicam, getting his defend and his title revoked.
Walker (performed by Wyatt Russell) turns into reluctant allies with Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, however strikes out on his personal on the finish. It’s unclear whether or not he joins the Thunderbolts as a redemption or a deeper descent into villainy. He does seem like working extra intently with Valentina than the others, so it is doable he’s the linchpin to her grand plan.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Valentina has solely been a minor character to this point, however within the glimpses we see of her, she exhibits the potential to be a significant risk. She is extremely ranked within the CIA and SHIELD, and is a talented intelligence operative and a grasp of manipulation. Val began out as Nick Fury’s love curiosity within the comics, nevertheless it did not work out as a result of her secretive, self-serving methods. Some comedian runs gave her the identify Madame Hydra as a result of her frequent collaboration with the HYDRA group.
Val (performed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) often works within the shadows, recruiting anti-heroes like Yelena Belova and John Walker. Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly gave us a little bit extra on her, displaying her attempting to steer America right into a struggle with Wakanda. Agent Everett Ross, catches on and turns her in, however she clearly has sufficient sympathizers in SHIELD and the federal government to get her off scot-free. Because the organizer of the Thunderbolts, it appears she’s been given Baron Zemo’s position. Her assistant, “Mel,” briefly seems within the trailer as properly, who’s theorized to grow to be a brand new member afterward.
Sentry (Bob)
The ultimate member, or potential antagonist, is the Sentry, who calls himself “Bob” within the trailer. Performed by Lewis Pullman, he seems to haven’t any reminiscence of who he’s or why the Thunderbolts are after him. However the Sentry is among the strongest Marvel characters of all time, primarily a villainous Superman. His inclusion into the MCU is large for comedian followers.
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The funny story is that Robert Reynolds broke right into a lab and drank a turbocharged model of the Captain America serum, granting him many superpowers. He ultimately needed to take away all dwelling reminiscences of his existence to guard them from his darkish aspect, which is probably going why neither he nor any of the others acknowledge him. Maybe he’ll regain his reminiscences and activate the Thunderbolts, however his position within the story is just not utterly clear but.