The members of the MCU’s Thunderbolts team have finally been revealed. The MCU phase 5 movie is premiering on big screens in July 2024. As soon as the release date was announced, speculation began about which MCU characters would make it to the “Anti-Avengers” group. Thankfully, the MCU panel at 2022’s D23 broke the silence and gave us a list of confirmed characters that will be a part of Thunderbolts.
As the comic book story presents the Thunderbolts as the anti-hero version of the original Avengers, we may expect some masters of evil in this list. Furthermore, most members associated with Marvel’s Thunderbolts have already appeared in MCU, but some haven’t even debuted yet. It remains to be seen if the characters missing from the MCU will eventually be introduced in the Thunderbolts franchise, should a sequel happen. All those mysteries will be disclosed in July 2024, but first, let’s see what rough-but-righteous villains Thunderbolts has in store for us.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
In phase 4, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine created controversies in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. Val chose John Walker to be the U.S. Agent when he was relieved from the duties of Captain America. Moreover, Hawkeye confirmed that Val gave Yelena Brave false leads about Clint Barton being responsible for Natasha’s death. At the D23 expo, it was confirmed that this manipulative goddess would be an active part of the Thunderbolts line-up.
While it is still not yet confirmed who Val is really working for, her skill to manipulate media narratives and extensive knowledge of government internal policies and plans made her an excellent candidate for Thunderbolts leader. Moreover, it would be exciting to see Yelena Belova working with her after she gave her the wrong information about Natasha’s murder.
Ava Starr/Ghost
After making her debut in Ant-Man And The Wasp, D23 confirmed that Ava Starr will make her way to Thunderbolts in 2024. Although, in the film, Ghost was initially introduced as a villain, it was later revealed that she was a SHIELD agent and more of an anti-hero. The MCU has followed the source material of Marvel Comics by recruiting Ghost in Thunderbolts. In comics, Ghost participates in the Thunderbolts team across various missions. So, seeing her in action on the big screen won’t be a surprise.
Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
The Red Guardian, who is also known as the Captain Russia, is an exceptional addition to Thunderbolts. Alexie Shostakov (Red Guardian) was the first super soldier that the Soviet Union ever created. When compared with Captain America, Red guardian shares several personal traits with him, including relative patriotism. Shostakov has had direct connections with SHIELD and The Red Room, so he won’t be considered new to the superhero shenanigans in Thunderbolts.
Being older than everyone else depicts that he’ll bring some degree of wisdom to the team. Additionally, his ability to fill almost every situation with wholesome comic relief makes him a significant character in the group of dangerous people. Plus, his physical strength and combat experience make him the perfect addition to fill out the MCU’s Thunderbolts team roster.
Yelena Belova/Black Widow
After being introduced in Phase 4 as Black Widow’s sister, Florence Pugh confirmed at the D23 expo that Yelena Belova would be a member of the MCU’s Thunderbolts team. Her past interactions as a Russian spy and direct relationship with Red Room make her a perfect candidate for the team. After what fans have seen of the character in the MCU so far, both in Black Widow and Hawkeye, it is likely that Belova would carry on with her sister’s Black Widow mantle and make her heroic appearance in Thunderbolts.
Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
After seeing the Winter Soldier leading Thunderbolt teams to multiple missions in comics, it is time to see him participating in Thunderbolts in the MCU. After the announcement of Sam Wilson’s recruitment as the new Captain America, it was unclear what fate awaited Winter Soldier in MCU. At the D23 expo, it was confirmed that just like comics, Bucky Barnes would once again step into the field with anti-heroes — but this time, for a greater and better cause. The character’s attempts to reform himself after mass murders make him the perfect member of the MCU’s Thunderbolts team. And it would be exciting to see how the Winter Soldier would control these former villains who should be in prison.
John Walker/U.S. Agent
Adding U.S. Agent in Thunderbolts was one of the inclusions that fans predicted. The last moments of Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed John Walker meeting with Val (another Thunderbolts team member) and talking about taking on a “new mantle.” Initially, the character entered MCU as a hero and a new Captain America. But soon, his antagonistic behavior towards Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, as well as the open murder of a member the Flag Smashers, made him a villian in the eyes of the public—not to mention the self-injection of super soldier serum. This cleared John Walker’s way for the Thunderbolts team. However, considering their controversial MCU history, it is will be intriguing to see how Bucky Barnes and U.S. Agent work together.
Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
The character’s brief introduction to MCU in Black Widow paved the way for her inclusion in the MCU’s Thunderbolts team line-up. In Black Widow, Taskmaster is shows as a skilled mercenary capable of perfectly copying any fighting style. Besides, Antonia Dreykov, the woman under the mask, had direct links with the Red Room, enough to be included in the Thunderbolts. Moreover, the comics also create definitive ties between Taskmaster and the Thunderbolts team. In comics, we see the Taskmaster training Thunderbolts recruits, but considering all currently slated members of the team are seasoned spies and soldiers, it will be interesting to see her role in the team when Thunderbolts hits the big screen.
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