Warning! This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts*

introduced a new team of heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

, but the lineup looks a little different to the comics. As it stands, Thunderbolts* brings together a group of misfit anti-heroes who walk a road to redemption in an effort to become genuine heroes. While they all start out as independent contractors and assassins for hire, by the end of the movie, they are officially formed as a team.

And yes, technically, these heroes are actually called The New Avengers in the MCU, but the lineup is actually a lot closer to the Thunderbolts team from the comics than anything seen in The New Avengers lineup, which is decidedly more heroic. Still, the lineup of the heroes in Thunderbolts* makes for an interesting gathering of characters, but there are plenty of other characters already in the MCU who have been a part of the team throughout the comic’s history.

9

Baron Zemo

From the moment the Thunderbolts* movie was announced, there was an expectation that Baron Zemo, as played by Daniel Brühl, would make an appearance in the lineup. This is due to the fact that the character is often the leader of the Thunderbolts team in the comics. And considering his previous tentative alliance with Bucky Barnes, it would have made sense to bring Zemo back.

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However, as the movie reveals, the team is a group of fallen heroes with tragic pasts, not outright villains. As much as Zemo has had some positive moments, he isn’t someone who seems ready to become a hero. Still, it would have been interesting to make a mention of the character, especially since both Bucky and John Walker, who both ran into Zemo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, were present in the Thunderbolts*.

8

Punisher

Another character who has very recently made his debut in the MCU officially, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, appeared in Daredevil: Born Again, and will return in a special presentation focused on the anti-hero. Frank Castle, aka Punisher, is a much better fit for the line-up seen in Thunderbolts*. He is a mercenary and a ruthless killer, but his intentions are generally to protect the weak and innocent and punish the cruel and wicked.

However, Punisher has proven that he is not a team player. Despite multiple chances to work with people like Daredevil, Punisher struggles to take direction, and he has briefly aligned his goals with others, but ultimately, he is a loose cannon. Despite this, in the comics, Punisher has been a part of the Thunderbolts team.

7

Elektra

Elektra is in a more complex position in the MCU. For one, there is a version of the character who appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine played by Jennifer Garner, reprising her role from the solo film in 2005. However, she was trapped in the void between realities, and it’s unclear if she survived or escaped that liminal reality after the movie.

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In addition, there is another variant of Elektra who is a part of the Netflix Daredevil series, who may now be part of the canon considering how much the Born Again series folds in from the original series. In both instances, she doesn’t have a lot of reason to connect with the other Thunderbolts, but the comics have seen this character join the team.

6

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner stands out as one of the original Avengers who has been present in the MCU from some of the earliest films, like Thor in 2011. However, as the hero, Hawkeye, Clint Barton has largely stepped back from superhero duties since the dissolution of the Avengers. And during the period of the blip, when his family disappeared, Barton took on a new name as the Ronin, a terrifyingly efficient assassin who traveled the world and took down criminals.

As much as Barton would fit into a team like the Thunderbolts in the MCU, or the newly established New Avengers, he is more focused on spending time with his family. And since he has already passed the mantle of Hawkeye on to young Kate Bishop, it makes sense for Barton to leave superhero life behind.

5

Red Hulk

Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is a notable figure in the MCU who first appeared in 2008s The Incredible Hulk, played by William Hurt. Since then, Ross has returned several times in the MCU, with the most recent appearance being in Captain America: Brave New World, with Harrison Ford taking over the role after Hurt passed away in 2022. And significantly, this was the first time that Ross was seen to transform into the incredibly powerful Red Hulk.

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In the comics, Ross is a former founder of a Thunderbolts team that consisted of several of the above-listed heroes. However, in the MCU, Ross was in no position to become a new vigilante superhero. Having been elected as the President, and then making a very public transformation into the Red Hulk, Ross was sent to The Raft, where he is being held captive to avoid him causing any more damage.

4

Luke Cage

Luke Cage is slightly disconnected from the Earth-616 timeline of the MCU at present, but with the release of Daredevil: Born Again, and the allusion that Matt Murdock will be organizing a team of his own to rival Kingpin, it seems highly likely that Mike Colter is likely to show up in the MCU as Luke Cage. Colter starred in another Netflix Marvel series, and he’d make a solid addition to a team like Thunderbolts.

And in the comics, Cage was a member of the team, with his almost impenetrable skin and superhuman strength making him a powerful ally. Now, it seems that some of these abilities overlap with Sentry, though Sentry is significantly more powerful than Cage. Either way, Cage has yet to form any connections to the bigger-name heroes seen in Thunderbolts*.

3

Taskmaster

Taskmaster is in a unique position, because she was actually present in the movie, though she was unceremoniously murdered by Ghost at the outset of the film. Antonia Dreykov had a tragic life in the MCU, and in an alternate timeline, it’s possible to imagine there was a reality where she survived and joined the team with the other Thunderbolts, but the MCU story sees her shot down before she can try to align herself with the others.

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Despite this, the comics present another eventuality, where the Anthony Masters is the Taskmaster, and he becomes a member of the Thunderbolts team. Both Masters and Dreykov have a lot in common in terms of their outfits and power set, but Masters manages to avoid incidents that result in an inability to join an anti-hero lineup like the Thunderbolts.

2

Abomination

Tim Roth has played the Abomination since 2008, when he appeared in The Incredible Hulk as the elite soldier, Emil Blonsky. After infusing himself with a gamma-irradiated version of the super soldier serum, Blonsky transformed into the monstrous Abomination, and used his newfound power to fight against the Hulk. However, the Abomination appears to be much less stable than his green nemesis.

However, over the years, Blonsky appears to have gained considerable control over his Abomination state, and he formed alliances with characters like Wong. He is certainly in a stronger position than most to be able to join with the other Thunderbolts, but he appears to be much closer to the Sorceror Supreme, Wong, which suggests he may appear in future stories along with him, rather than the anti-hero alliance of the New Avengers.

1

Bullseye

Finally, Bullseye, aka Benjamin Poindexter, had recently come crashing into the MCU from the Netflix Marvel Daredevil series when he returned to fight Murdock. While Poindexter did have a history as an honorable soldier, he eventually became a hired gun, using his considerable talents to make money through less than honest means.

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Bullseye recently got into a very public confrontation with Kingpin in New York City, which likely meant he went into hiding to avoid being captured and returned to prison. For this reason, it appears unlikely he would connect with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in order to get other work, and eventually meet with the other Thunderbolts. But in the comics, Bullseye did have some time when he worked alongside the anti-heroes that joined forces in Thunderbolts*.

Thunderbolts*

8/10

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

126 Minutes

Director

Jake Schreier

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo

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