Movies

Uncover the Secrets of Marvel’s Thunderbolts: Your Guide to the Misfit Superheroes

BBG News

In “Thunderbolts,” set for release on May 2, Marvel’s secondary superheroes – those who have often played supporting roles or even antagonists throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for over a decade – step into the limelight. This diverse team, loosely assembled, unites under the guidance of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Known for her adaptable moral compass and work in the private sector, she has been appointed as the head of the CIA in the upcoming movie.

Valentina, initially featured in the Disney+ series “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and subsequently seen in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” as the former spouse of Everett Ross (portrayed by Martin Freeman), has been discreetly amassing a team of assassins for undercover missions. She now harbors ambitions for a highly visible superhuman entity or superteam that she can manage.

If you haven’t watched movies such as “Black Widow” or “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” or TV shows like “Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” it might leave you perplexed about the identities of the antiheroes that Valentina has gathered, their recent activities over the past few years, and whether they are heroes or villains.

Here’s a spoiler-free rundown of the key players on the Thunderbolts squad, so you can get acquainted with them!

This is a sneak peek into the main figures that comprise the Thunderbolts group, to help you familiarize yourself with their backgrounds!

Yelena Belova

In the film ‘Black Widow’, Florence Pugh portrays Yelena, who is presented as Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johanson) younger sibling. However, they are not biologically related but share a bond forged by their shared upbringing. Both were groomed since childhood to become assassins in the Russian Red Room, following in the footsteps of Black Widow before them. In their American mission as spies, they lived with other undercover agents masquerading as a family. David Harbour’s character, Alexei Shostakov (also known as Red Guardian), and Rachel Weisz’s character, Melina Vostokoff, served as their surrogate parents until the need to return to Russia necessitated their departure.

In the movie “Black Widow,” the quartet unite with a common goal: dismantling the Red Room and rescuing the females subjected to brainwashing within its walls. Following Natasha’s demise in “Avengers: Endgame,” Yelena embarks on a new path as a freelance assassin, working under Valentina Allegra de Fontaine who, in the upcoming film “Thunderbolts,” seeks to create and manage her own superpowered individuals.

Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier

Since 2011, I’ve been portraying Steve Rogers’ closest ally, Bucky Barnes, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the Battle of World War II in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” Bucky has experienced quite a journey. In that film, he plummeted from a train, seemingly perishing, but was miraculously recovered by HYDRA – a scientifically advanced faction within the Nazi regime. They subjected him to the supersoldier serum, brainwashed him, and turned him into the Winter Soldier. This cold-hearted version of Bucky committed numerous heinous acts for HYDRA, one of which was the tragic murder of Tony Stark’s parents.

Over time, Steve aided Bucky in regaining his lost memories and liberating him from HYDRA’s control, and the Wakandans bestowed upon Bucky an indestructible prosthetic limb. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bucky joined forces with the Avengers against Thanos during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, and later allied with Sam Wilson (initially The Falcon, later the new Captain America) in the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It appears that Bucky has since been elected as a representative for Brooklyn in Congress. Whether his responsibilities as a supersoldier might conflict with his duties as an elected official is yet to be seen.

Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian

In response to Captain America, the Soviet Union’s equivalent character, Red Guardian – once a renowned super soldier – yearns for his past days of fame and symbolizing Russian power. He serves as a surrogate father figure to both Natasha and Yelena. During the storyline of Black Widow, the two women sprang him from an Eastern European prison.

John Walker

In the series “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” John Walker (played by Wyatt Russell) assumes the role previously held by Steve Rogers as Captain America, following his military service and receiving the supersoldier serum. However, unlike Steve Rogers, who developed leadership abilities, the serum amplifies Walker’s underlying anger and resentment. Although not inherently evil, Walker’s pursuit of justice is questionable compared to characters like Sam Wilson, as he lacks the moral compass that such a role requires. A pivotal moment in the series sees Walker killing an innocent man in public view, thus tarnishing the iconic Captain America shield with blood.

After the incident, Walker loses his title. However, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine enlists the disgraced Walker into her group of mercenaries, who are hired for clandestine operations.

Ghost

In the movie “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” Ghost, portrayed by Hannah John-Kamen, is one of the main adversaries. As the daughter of a past associate of Hank Pym, Ava Starr, she experienced an encounter with the Quantum Realm as a child which bestowed her with the ability to phase, making her disappear and pass through solid objects, but also left her with persistent agony. To cope, she became an assassin for S.H.I.E.L.D., receiving a suit that helped manage her instability, along with a vow of a cure that never materialized. By the film’s conclusion, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) uses quantum science to bring stability to Ava.

Taskmaster

Despite not having as significant a part in the team as others in “The Thunderbolts”, Taskmaster does indeed serve under Valentina. Antonia Dreykov, portrayed by Olga Kurylenko, is General Dreykov’s daughter and the head of the Red Room. During an attempt to assassinate General Dreykov, Natasha Romanoff came close to killing Antonia. The aftermath left scars on Antonia from the explosion. General Dreykov then trained Antonia to become Taskmaster and manipulated her mind using a special substance. In “Black Widow”, Natasha and Yelena make amends for Natasha’s near-fatal act towards Antonia by liberating her from the Red Room, enabling her to rebuild her life.

Bob

In the Thunderbolts, Lewis Pullman’s character, Bob, unexpectedly emerges within Valentina’s clandestine underground facility. To preserve the surprise of the movie, we’ll refrain from disclosing further details about Bob at this time.

Read More

2025-04-30 18:06

Previous post Scares Up Rave Reviews, Critics Call It a
Next post Ncuti Gatwa Reveals Doctor Who’s Scariest Monster Has Evolved!