A look at Marvel’s newest team the Thunderbolts*
By Sam Spady on October 7, 2024
Marvel Studios’ new film Thunderbolts* tells you to be careful who you assemble, but who exactly is being assembled? Marvel released the first trailer for Thunderbolts* featuring characters from every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as:
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
- David Harbour as Red Guardian
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
- Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster
- Lewis Pullman as Sentry
Many of these characters are unknown to many viewers, so here is a look at them and why you should be excited to see them assemble.
The star of Thunderbolts* is the spy, assassin and sister of Black Widow Yelena Belova. Yelena last appeared in the Hawkeye series, where Valentina hired her to kill Hawkeye but could not go through with it. Now, Yelena is being recruited for a new mission to work with a team of killers and spies with dark pasts.
Bucky Barnes, or The Winter Soldier, is most familiar to Marvel fans as the best friend of Captain America. Brainwashed into being a killer for Hydra, Bucky was only recently freed from being brainwashed and is haunted by people he harmed in his past. Having appeared in six Marvel movies, Bucky is this team’s most experienced member and will lead the Thunderbolts* on their first mission.
The Red Guardian is Yelena’s adopted father who hopes to relive his glory days as the Russian Captain America by going on this new mission. Last appearing in Black Widow, Red Guardian has been living alone when Yelena knocks on his door, forcing him to suit up again.
John Walker was appointed by the government as the successor to Captain America but was stripped of his title when he killed a man with the shield. Disgraced by the world, John Walker is looking for redemption.
Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, or “Val” for short, has been recruiting these characters in different Marvel movies and series and now has a mission for them. Val has secret plans that may cause the team she assembled to turn against her.
In a lab experiment gone wrong, Ghost was given the ability to phase through anything, making her very valuable to Vals’ mission.
Taskmaster can mimic the abilities of anyone, making her a difficult foe to take on in a fight. She last appeared in Black Widow, where she was freed from the control of her father, and now she hopes to make a name for herself on the Thunderbolts*.
Sentry is a new character that will be introduced in Thunderbolts* who is super strong, able to fly and bulletproof. He is the ideal superhero with a dark side that takes over him and will cause the Thunderbolts* to team up and take him down in theatres on May 2, 2025.