Summary
- The Thunderbolts, unlike other MCU teams, are a group of former villains and anti-heroes put together by Valentina, the Director of the CIA.
- Their purpose is not to save something greater than themselves, like the Avengers or the Guardians, but rather to fulfill a mission given to them by someone else.
- The Thunderbolts’ unique dynamic stems from their lack of political loyalty and their motivation, whether it be redemption, financial gain, or something else, remaining a mystery.
Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier teases that this team-up will be different from other Marvel Cinematic Universe team-up movies like the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy or The Avengers. The Thunderbolts are a team of former villains and anti-heroes that Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine seems to have been putting together throughout Phase 4 and Phase 5 of the MCU. Although story details have been kept under wraps, the fact that these are not the standard superheroes, with Bucky Barnes being the only member with actual experience as a superhero, setting up a unique dynamic.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about Beef and Thunderbolts, Schreier kept details about the upcoming MCU movie close to the vest. Although he couldn’t share specifics, he made it clear that the Thunderbolts will stand out from other MCU teams like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, while also teasing that this movie is not what people are expecting. Check out Schreier’s full quote below:
I can’t say what it is, but I can say that there is something different. And I think that, again, when you look at something like Beef there’s a specificity of character that then makes the whole thing feel more universal, because it comes from something so personal. And I think that something that was exciting about Thunderbolts is it’s not a sequel. It’s a new story, and it’s a set of characters that maybe we’ve met a little bit in the MCU before, but this is a very new take on who they are and what brings them together. Probably not what people are expecting from it, but I guess I can’t really say more than that.
Editor’s Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the movie covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.
How The Thunderbolts Can Stand Out From Other MCU Teams
The heroes of the MCU are not often the pinnacle of good, with many having dark pasts. Natasha Romanoff was an assassin, Tony Stark created weapons, and the Guardians of the Galaxy were criminals and killers. However, the Thunderbolts take it to a new level in part because it doesn’t seem they are coming together with the purpose of saving something greater than themselves, like the Avengers did during the Battle of New York, or the Guardians when Xandar was threatened by Ronan the Accuser. Instead, this seems to be a team put together by Valentina, the Director of the CIA.
While her reason for putting this team together remains a mystery, she has used Yelena for contracted killings before, sending her after Clint in Hawkeye, and has her eye on Wakanda’s Vibranium. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may have laid the groundwork for Valentina using the team to infiltrate Wakanda, but Bucky’s involvement as the team leader makes that seem less likely. Whatever their mission entails, the fact that it is just that, a mission given to them by someone else, makes the Thunderbolts unique.
While the Avengers often worked with and, to a degree, for Nick Fury, their separation from the government is what caused the conflict in Captain America: Civil War. Both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy took it upon themselves to try to protect the universe. However, their failure when Thanos first attacked, and lack of political loyalty may be exactly what inspired the idea of the Thunderbolts, especially for the United States. Whether this team is searching for redemption, a paycheck, or something else remains a mystery, but the fact that this is not a group of heroes is only one aspect of what sets Thunderbolts up to be such a unique MCU movie.