The highly anticipated Thunderbolts film, directed by Jake Schreier, has finally debuted its official trailer, and Marvel fans are buzzing. Originally delayed by the 2023 writers’ strike and a reshuffled release schedule, the Thunderbolts film is now set to close out the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5 in 2025. The trailer offers a thrilling glimpse of a darker, more brutal team of antiheroes than we’ve seen before, promising to bring a new tone to the MCU.
The film takes place sometime after the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where we first saw hints of a shadowy team being assembled. The central plot revolves around Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who recruits some of Marvel’s most notorious former villains and morally ambiguous characters for a new black ops team that serves as a twisted counterpoint to the Avengers.
The Thunderbolts lineup in the film includes familiar faces: Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who steps up as a lead after the death of her sister Natasha Romanoff; Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour); John Walker / US Agent (Wyatt Russell); Ava Starr / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen); and Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). All of these characters have a checkered history with the law, shadowy organizations, or both, and are now coming together under suspicious circumstances.
The trailer shows Yelena Belova tracking down her estranged father, Alexei, who’s struggling with his current life of squalor. Similarly, US Agent John Walker has also hit a rough patch following his disgraceful actions in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The film appears to be an emotional and action-packed journey as these characters are forced to confront their pasts while being lured into a dangerous mission by Valentina.
The trailer further teases some key action scenes involving the antiheroes fighting both their enemies and each other before realizing they’ve been assembled for a greater purpose. A mysterious character named Bob, portrayed by Lewis Pullman, seems to be integral to their mission. Speculation points to Bob being an iteration of the Sentry, a powerful figure from Marvel Comics, further amplifying the stakes for the team.
In Marvel’s comics, the Thunderbolts have always been a team of villains posing as heroes, but who frequently find themselves on a journey toward redemption. This dynamic appears to be carried over into the MCU, with Valentina pulling the strings. But questions remain about her true motives, as her comic book counterpart has often been portrayed as treacherous.
The trailer also showcases humor, particularly in scenes where Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) fumbles with domestic life, including a hilarious moment where he removes his vibranium arm from the dishwasher. This blend of humor, emotional weight, and thrilling action promises to make Thunderbolts a standout entry in the MCU.
Though the film lacks traditional marquee heroes like Spider-Man or Thor, it is packed with fan-favorite characters and high-octane action sequences. Florence Pugh’s Yelena is clearly positioned as the film’s lead, with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky as her reluctant teammate. Their complex relationship, combined with the unpredictable nature of the rest of the team, sets the stage for explosive chemistry.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Thunderbolts is how the film will reshape the MCU. As Phase 5’s finale, it signals a shift in focus away from the Avengers, whose original lineup has mostly disbanded following Endgame. The Thunderbolts represent a morally grey, government-sanctioned team that could either be heroes or villains, depending on how their mission unfolds. This shift from clear-cut good guys to antiheroes could redefine the MCU’s approach to heroism.
While Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo, a key figure in the Thunderbolts comics, is noticeably absent from the trailer, many fans hope he’ll make a surprise appearance. Zemo’s involvement in the MCU as a more sympathetic character, as seen in Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, would make him a natural fit for this group of redemption-seeking antiheroes.