Thunderbolts The lineup is now official. At Disney’s D23 Expo 2022, Marvel Studios announced the main cast of ThunderboltsMarvel’s upcoming film will conclude Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thunderbolts will star Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, David Harbor as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. As you can tell, Thunderbolts is a collection of a series of anti-heroes and villains who are currently working in one way or another for the company of Louis-Dreyfus, who we know assembled a team.
Marvel Studios also revealed concept art for Thunderbolts cast at D23 Expo, though has yet to be released in high definition on any of Marvel’s official social media channels. In it, Yelena is front and center, with her father Alexei and the Winter Soldier standing by her side, the two of whom are flanked by Ghost and US Agents respectively, with Valentina and Taskmaster at the end. Admittedly this is a very odd group – while some of them share a common past or have previously met a number of others, a few have no ties at all. It will be interesting to see how Thunderbolts Putting this versatile crew together, sounds like Marvel’s attempt to create Suicide Squad.
Here’s a quick update for those who need it (including yours really). Valentina is introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where she invited John Walker to be her first and gave him the nickname United States Agent. Yelena, introduced in Black Widow, would have been her first hire if it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic because of the film’s delay. Yelena meets Valentina in the post-credits scene of Black Widow. Red Guardian and Taskmaster are part of Black Widow too, with the latter ending the film there is no brainwashing done to her. Ghost is the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp, though she’s actually a more tragic character. Winter Soldier needs no introduction.
Before we see Thunderbolts the MCU will consider us Ryan Coogler’s though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in November – the last entry in Phase Four. Phase Five of the MCU will begin with the lead of Paul Rudd Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May 2023, The Marvels with Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in July 2023, Mahershala Ali in the lead Tongue in November 2023, and led by Anthony Mackie Captain America: New World Order in May 2024. Thunderbolts will be followed by Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four in November 2024, two new Avengers movies Kang dynasty and Secret War in May and November 2025.
Thunderbolts premieres on July 26, 2024 in cinemas worldwide. Filming begins around 2023.
