Summary
- Thunderbolts is an upcoming Marvel film with previously underused villains that fans should be more excited about.
- The film includes an exciting roster, promising action, and a focus on characters usually overlooked by Marvel Studios.
- Despite lackluster fan reception, Thunderbolts' trailer hints at a unique story that may surprise and impress audiences upon release.
When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios is looking to go big at the theaters next year. Unfortunately, though, despite having three films slated for release next year, one Marvel film looks to be more of an afterthought as far as fans are concerned. Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios' team-up of ragtag heroes, just released its first trailer, and although it resulted in a conversation among fans online, the film's reception still appeared to be rather lackluster.
The movie, like many other Marvel Studios adaptations, doesn't feature the same roster from the comics. This is something that fans have shown frustration over in the past. Instead, the studio has sought to make its own take on the team featuring some formerly villainous characters who deserve far more screentime within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Thunderbolts* now less than a year away from release, Marvel Studios needs to offer more teases for the film because it deserves more attention than it's currently getting.
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Why Thunderbolts* Deserves More Hype Among Fans
For years, rumors suggested Marvel Studios was looking to develop a Thunderbolts movie. When the confirmation finally came in June 2022, Marvel surprised fans by already having a director on lock for the project. Jake Schreier, who is best known for directing the television series Beef for Netflix, directed the project from a screenplay by Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, and Eric Pearson. The film, which is headlined by Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, features a series of former villains who haven't really been used within the Marvel Cinematic Universe since their original appearances. This includes Antonia Dreykov aka Taskmaster, Ava Starr aka Ghost, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, and John Walker aka U.S. Agent. It also features the debut of Robert Reynolds aka Sentry, who will be played by Lewis Pullman. In the film, the team is brought together by Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, with the goal of going on missions for the government. However, as evident by the film's first trailer, there's plenty of chaos that comes with bringing together a team like this.
Although the film is set to introduce one of the most exciting Marvel Comics characters with Sentry, the reaction among fans has been pretty lackluster. This, of course, could simply be because the studio hasn't really done a great job at marketing the film. While the studio teased the film at both Cinema Con and San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios opted not to release anything to the public until very recently. Instead, Marvel Studios has been understandably focused on Captain America: Brave New World, which will hit theaters in February. Sadly, though, the decision to release Thunderbolts* between Brave New World and Fantastic Four: First Steps, has resulted in Thunderbolts* being unfairly overlooked. However, the movie looks like a much-needed departure from Marvel Studios and fans should be excited about that. With a standout cast, an exciting trailer promising something different, and a story focused on characters Marvel Studios typically underuses, Thunderbolts* is a promising feature that should get more attention from fans.
Can the Thunderbolts* Deliver When it's Released?
Captain America: Brave New World feels like it has drawn inspiration from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a film that has a political thriller feel to it, along with some of the best action within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. However, Thunderbolts* looks like it might outdo some of those action scenes. The trailer, which opened with Pugh's Yelena going to see Alexei, ultimately finds the team of villains in a contained room together with no explantation as to why they've been called to the location. The fight scene that follows is a stunning bit of action featuring US Agent, Yelena, Taskmaster, and Ghost - and while short, suggests the film will hold no punches as far as its action is concerned. What's most exciting regarding Thunderbolts* is that it's set to actually give these characters a proper story within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's no secret that Marvel Studios has been known to underuse its villains or kill them off far too quickly. In the case of Thunderbolts*, most of the characters, except for Bucky and even Yelena, have been critically underused on screen. More importantly, though, their films left their futures up in the air with no indication of if or when they'd ever return. Knowing that they have the potential to have bigger roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and perhaps actually receive a decent storyline, is something to celebrate on its own.
Will Thunderbolts* deliver what its trailer promises when it releases in May? It certainly looks like the film has been critically underrated thus far. The secrecy surrounding the movie might have pushed fans away, or even left them not really caring about the project, but that feels like a massive mistake. Thunderbolts* is clearly a special project for the studio, and it feels like a follow-up to Black Widow, another film that didn't receive enough excitement among fans. While it remains to be seen how well it'll do at the box office, with no big name characters set to headline the project, but Thunderbolts* definitely deserves more hype from fans because it seems like it's bound to surprise in the best way possible.
Thunderbolts* will hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
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