There’s a new super-team in town in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

By Lewis Knight

Published: Friday, 27 January 2023 at 12:00 am

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With only a year and a half to go until the latest Marvel team, the Thunderbolts, come crashing on to screens, we’ve finally got some more casting news around the new MCU film.

According to Deadline the film has cast The Bear star Ayo Edebiri in a currently unknown role – whether she will be a new member of the team, an ally or someone they’ll be fighting remains to be seen.

As announced in the summer of 2022, the film will be directed by Paper Towns helmer Jake Schreier and scripted by MCU veteran Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow).

It will follow a team of anti-heroes, who have been gathered together for a specific mission, utilising their very specific skillset. Other than that, the plot currently remains shrouded in secrecy, although we’re sure that as the film heads into production we will hear more in the coming months.

So, who are the Thunderbolts? Well, we have you covered with our guide.

In the meantime, if you are keen to catch up on every MCU entry so far, we have you covered with our Marvel movies in order guide.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts release date

Marvel’s Thunderbolts will be released in cinemas on 26th July 2024.

Filming is expected to begin in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in early 2023 and the film’s release is due to be the penultimate cinematic release of Phase Five.

The film was confirmed in July 2022.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts cast

The following cast members will appear in Marvel’s Thunderbolts.

• Florence Pugh as Black Widow/Yelena Belova
• Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier/James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes
• David Harbour as Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov
• Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov
• Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost/Ava Starr
• Wyatt Russell as US Agent/John Walker
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina “Val” Allegra de Fontaine
• Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross
• Ayo Edebiri as TBC

A selection of characters from throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe will return for Thunderbolts.

Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova after her appearances in Black Widow and Hawkeye, while Stan is back after his appearances in the Captain America trilogy, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Elsewhere, Black Widow stars David Harbour and Olga Kurylenko are also back, while Hannah John-Kamen returns as her Ant-Man and the Wasp antagonist Ghost.

Meanwhile, Wyatt Russell returns as the brutish John Walker after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw him recruited by the mysterious Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who also recruited Belova in the post-credits scene of Black Widow.

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Val was revealed to be the new director of the CIA.

Meanwhile, following the death of actor William Hurt, Star Wars and Indiana Jones legend Harrison Ford has been cast as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.

The Walt Disney Company via Getty Images

Ford’s first appearance as the character will occur in Captain America: New World Order.

Another actor who has recently joined the film is Ayo Edebiri, known for her work in The Bear and Big Mouth. It’s currently unknown who she will be playing, but the news was first reported by Deadline in January 2023.

One person who has not been confirmed to appear is Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, despite the character’s ties to the Thunderbolts.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com on whether he will be making an MCU comeback, Brühl revealed: “Even if I could… I couldn’t, you know.”

He added: “The only thing I can say, everybody knows – is I’m not dead!”

Maybe he could return after all…

Is there a trailer for Marvel’s Thunderbolts? 

At present, there is no trailer for Thunderbolts.

However, we will be sure to update you as soon as we have footage.

What is the plot for Marvel’s Thunderbolts?

Disney

The official synopsis for Marvel’s Thunderbolts is described as “A group of antiheroes goes on missions for the government.”

In Marvel Comics, Thunderbolts were originally a team of supervillains disguised as heroes while the Avengers weren’t around but in reality were the Masters of Evil, led by Baron Helmut Zemo.

However, this time around it appears this team has been organised by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who has already recruited Yelena Belova and John Walker to work for her.

Considering that Thaddeus Ross is a politician, he is probably in league with Val, which is made more likely by their more extreme approach to issues in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.