Every Marvel movie and TV show to watch before Thunderbolts*

Marvel Studios has given us plenty of teams over the course of its multi-decade existence. The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be built around the Avengers, but it has also given us the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Widows, the Black Order, the Marvels, and more. But in 2025, it introduces us to a new one: The Thunderbolts*.

In spite of Bucky Barnes and John Walker's reluctance to represent that name (and the asterisk at the end of the movie title), Thunderbolts* will see plenty of MCU regulars team up in the most unlikely mission to save the world from an all-powerful threat that even the Avengers might struggle with. That team features none other than Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and perhaps even Sentry / Bob (Lewis Pullman).

If you're planning on watching Thunderbolts* - be that during its theatrical release or its eventual arrival on Disney Plus - there are some titles you should watch ahead of time to prepare for it.

Black Widow

Probably the film that is most important to understanding Thunderbolts*, Black Widow introduces four characters into the MCU who are central the story of the movie. The biggest is, of course, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who makes her MCU debut in this film.

Here, we learn that she is the sister of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow and a fellow member of the Widow program. The two spent their childhood in Ohio as their father - David Harbour's Alexei Shastakov / Red Guardian - worked on a mission for the Red Room. That unlikely family dynamic plays into the film's central story and highlights the complex relationship between Yelena and her unusual father figure - which is an important factor in Thunderbolts*.

Black Widow also features Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who provides Yelena with one of her missions, teasing the apparent working relationship between the two. Meanwhile, Taskmaster also makes her MCU debut in the film, as the story showcases her origin story and how it is tied specifically to the Black Widows.

Every appearance from Yelena Belova in the MCU thus far:

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Another character imperative to the story of Thunderbolts* is Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier. Portrayed by Sebastian Stan, Bucky is one of the longest-standing characters in the MCU, with his first appearance coming all the way back in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. His most recent appearance, however, came in 2021 Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Being Bucky's most recent leading adventure isn't the only reason that this one is important, though, as it also introduces us to John Walker. The man that the government deems the next Captain America, Walker is a complex character who struggles under the pressure of living up to the iconic Steve Rogers' legacy - especially as Steve had handpicked Sam Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon, to take over the mantle instead.

As Sam and Bucky attempt to ensure that Steve's legacy gets the continuation that it deserves, they are put in the direct crosshairs of Walker - who also finds himself on Valentina's radar. Although this wasn't intended to be, the six-episode Disney Plus series marked the debut of Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the role.

If you would like to watch Bucky Barnes' entire MCU history, here is a list of every live-action project that Sebastian Stan appears in as the character, ranging from leading roles to cameo appearances:

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp arrived in movie theaters at a very stressful time for MCU fans as it was placed directly between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. But it provided them with the palette-cleansing distraction that they needed, offering up a fun and light-hearted adventure that only an Ant-Man movie could.

It also introduced audiences to Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost. The character was in an unstable state of existence due to an accident that left her phasing in and out like a ghost and she thought that absorbing quantum energy would allow her to recover. Fans responded really well to her due to her well-rounded backstory and strong motivation, making her stand out among a crowded landscape of one-dimensional movie villains.

It's Ghost's only appearance thus far and an important one to watch to understand the character and her motivations in Thunderbolts*.

Have more time? Watch these projects for more context on Thunderbolts* too

While the aforementioned titles are indeed the most relevant projects you should watch heading into Thunderbolts*, there are some other films and / or Disney Plus shows that might provide some extra context if you have the time. They aren't as important to the central plot or its characters as the ones we previously mentioned, but these ones do feature an appearance from one of the Thunderbolts or a plot point leading up to the movie.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: While none of the Thunderbolts appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the 2017 film does feature the sale of Avengers Tower to a mysterious new buyer. For years, fans wondered who the new owner of Tony Stark's iconic building was and now we know that it was actually Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as the tower returns in Thunderbolts*.

Hawkeye: Florence Pugh returns as Yelena Belova in Disney Plus series Hawkeye. Its the second appearance for the character - and most current prior to Thunderbolts* - as it sees the continuation of the story set in motion at the post-credits scene of Black Widow. Yelena is out to take down Clint Barton for seemingly being responsible for Natasha Romanoff's death, but we know that she sacrificed herself to save him. In the show, Clint must convince Yelena of the same thing. That makes it an important one for Yelena's arc, as well as the fact that it shows what happened to her during The Blip.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Released in 2022, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a tribute to the late, great Chadwick Boseman as the MCU delivers a powerful send-off to his character T'Challa. That's exactly what the film is, but it also features a surprise appearance from Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which features more about her backstory and shows us the questionable character that she is.