Once upon a time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine used expendable superhumans and assassins to do her every bidding, and planned on killing them after their mission was complete. But against all odds, this group of misfits came together to work as a team and became something more. The Thunderbolts were no more, and the New Avengers were born, becoming a glimmer of hope for New York citizens. However, this little experiment taught Valentina a lesson: a team can accomplish more than a single individual.
Unfortunately, there's one big problem: the New Avengers are currently in the public eye. They aren't under Valentina's control anymore, and they have become true, honest heroes. After all, they are set to save the day during the events of Avengers: Doomsday. So what will be next for the shady CIA director? Well, she could be looking to create yet another team that is completely under her control with individuals who will stop at nothing to complete the mission. Better yet, the MCU already teased that this dark and twisted version of the Avengers is coming.
A new version of the Thunderbolts is reportedly coming to the MCU
According to insider Alex Perez, audiences will witness a new version of the Thunderbolts after the events of Avengers: Secret Wars. Better yet, he revealed two of the members who will be part of this new ensemble: Wilson Bethel's Bullseye and a new version of Taskmaster that will use the equipment left behind after the death of Antonia Dreykov.
In comic book pages, some iterations of the Thunderbolts have acted like a genuine group of heroes, while others were terrifying villains doing someone else's bidding. Norman Osborn used the team as his personal task force to hunt any and every superhero (with the government's approval) during the events of the Civil War storyline. They would have even killed Spider-Man if the Punisher hadn't shown up to save the friendly neighborhood hero. Similarly, Wilson Fisk tasked a different version of the Thunderbolts to incarcerate every hero living in New York after he became the city's mayor.
The Thunderbolts have already become a heroic team ready to save the world on the big screen. So, the next logical step would be to see a version of the team that isn't afraid to take lives and cross some lines to get the work done. Better yet, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has already teased this upcoming storyline.
During the finale of the beloved Disney+ series, it was revealed that Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles recruited Benjamin Poindexter. Furthermore, the second season's opening revealed that Mr. Charles works for none other than Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the very same person who accidentally brought together the first iteration of the Thunderbolts in the first place.
Unfortunately, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 didn't reveal exactly what Valentina's plans are, or why she needed so many military-grade weapons. Besides, with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, it's unlikely we'll see the new iteration of the Thunderbolts assemble anytime soon. But given that Bullseye is confirmed to appear in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, maybe we'll get a glimpse behind the curtain and learn more about Marvel's plans for its upcoming team of supervillains.
During an interview with Collider, Wilson Bethel teased that he'd like to see his character go against the likes of Spider-Man, Punisher, or Hawkeye:
"One of the things that I think is amazing about this character is, I think, he would operate so well in so many different scenarios and contexts. Obviously, he's not a character that would function particularly well against, like, Galactus, but I think it would be a hell of a lot of fun to see him up against somebody like Spider-Man. It'd be a hell of a lot of fun to see him against somebody like Hawkeye. It would be a hell of a lot of fun to see him go up against Punisher."
While far from being a confirmation of who the Thunderbolts will face next, it's important to remember that Marvel is reportedly working on a street-level crossover movie set to feature the likes of Spider-Man, Punisher, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and more. And given that the Thunderbolts could mix in very well with street-level characters, it would be the perfect opportunity for them to show up and steal the spotlight.
There are countless possibilities for the Thunderbolts moving forward, and we can't wait to see where they show up next.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.
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