The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to a team of superhero misfits – the original Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy – but those two squads will look organized and downright competent compared to the new kids on the block. The Thunderbolts are ready to take their crack at saving the world if they don’t break it first.
Before you dive into the MCU’s latest offering, let’s meet the team, catch up with the “heroes” you need to know and learn about all of the chaotic things that led them to this very moment.
Bucky Barnes - The Winter Soldier
Last Appearance: Captain America: Brave New World (cameo),The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (lead role)
Public Status: Politician (Hero/Villian, depending on who you ask)
He Knows: John Walker a.k.a. U.S. Agent
The last time we saw Bucky Barnes, he was checking in on Sam Wilson and running for the US Senate. Clearly, politics is not going to stick, given that Bucky is back to blowing up limos in the Thunderbolts* trailer.
I assume Bucky will become the very reluctant co-leader of the team. When he first deployed as part of the 107th Infantry Unit during World War II, Bucky was a confident leader, but following his capture and subsequent rescue by Steve Rodgers, Barnes took on the sidekick role for a short time before becoming a human popsicle.
After nearly 70 years as a brainwashed Soviet assassin, it’s fair to say that Bucky is a little hesitant about leading anyone into battle. Still, he’s the most likely to point the Thunderbolts in the right direction based simply on the fact that he’s level-headed, a quality somewhat lacking in other members of the team.
Yelena Belova - Black Widow
Last Appearance: Hawkeye (guest appearance), Black Widow (main role)
Public Status: Invisible (she’s a really good spy)
She Knows: Alexi Shostakov a.k.a. Red Guardian and Antonia Dreykov a.k.a. Taskmaster
Yelena is about to step into her adoptive sister’s role and take over the mantle as The Black Widow. Of course, she’s a Black Widow, but to this point, Yelena hasn’t been publicly facing or even much of a hero. Yes, she helped to take down the Red Room, but after that, she spent a whole lot of time trying to kill Clint Barton – Hawkeye – thanks to a major lie told by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Considering de Fontaine is the Nick Fury figure bringing the Thunderbolts together, expect some tension here.
For Yelena, this is also a family reunion as she offers a purpose to her adoptive father, Alexei Shostakov, who also happens to be the former Soviet Union’s answer to Captain America. If an unusual fake-father/daughter dynamic isn’t enough, there’s also the added awkwardness of teaming up with Taskmaster after the duo spent most of Black Widow trying to kill one another. Yay, family reunions!
Alexei Shostakov - Red Guardian
Last Appearance: Black Widow
Public Status: Folk hero in Russia, limo driver in the US
She Knows: Yelena, Taskmaster and probably Bucky, right?
While most members of the Thunderbolts will ultimately become reluctant heroes, Alexei is desperate to regain his “hero” status from a life of mediocrity. With super strength and agility dulled by years in a Russian prison and too much bad vodka, the Red Guardian will be the most enthusiastic to suit up and save the day.
That said, he’ll almost certainly make a mess of things right from the jump. My money has him trying to out-super soldier Bucky. If you like the Alexei/Bucky buddy dynamic, “What If... the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?” is the third episode of the third season of What If…? and it features plenty of great banter between the two characters - something I fully expect in this film as well.
Antonia Dreykov - Taskmaster
Last Appearance: Black Widow
Public Status: Presumed dead
She Knows: Yelena and Alexei
In an already unconventional deck, Taskmaster is the wildcard. The formerly brainwashed daughter/assassin of the leader of the Red Room, Antonia is essentially a blank slate with insane fighting abilities.
Will she turn on her teammates? Quite possibly. Will she even survive the film? Hard to say. If anyone has a surprise or two in store, it’ll be Taskmaster.
Ava Starr - Ghost
Last Appearance: Ant-Man and the Wasp
Public Status: Former S.H.I.E.L.D assassin
She Knows: Nobody
Ava Starr will enter the film as the only to-be Thunderbolt who hasn’t met anyone else on the team. After a childhood accident left her with an unstable molecular structure, Starr was trained as an assassin, using her abilities to phase through objects and become invisible, thus her moniker Ghost.
While she did give both Ant-Man and the Wasp plenty of trouble, Ava is less of a villain and more of a victim. She lost her parents in the accident that led to her powers and has been searching for a family ever since. The closest she came for years was Bill Foster, who is set to appear in Thunderbolts*, but don’t be surprised if the moody ex-killer finds some connection with her fellow outcasts
John Walker - U.S. Agent
Last Appearance: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Public Status: Disgraced former Captain America
He Knows: Bucky
Honestly, the Thunderbolts should just be called The Super Soldiers and The Assasians. Shortly after being named the new Captain America by the United States government, Walker juiced up on some black market super soldier serum and promptly killed a man in public. Not a great look. Now, the disgraced former Cap is – like Yelena – working for Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, which is his path to the Thunderbolts.
Walker and Bucky worked together to bring down the Flag Smashers in The Falcon and The Winter Solider, a team-up that came after a very tumultuous beginning to their relationship. These two aren’t friends, but they do respect one another, and they share the same patience for nonsense, which is absolutely none. Walker is on a redemption tour and if he can avoid killing any of his teammates, this is as good a place to start as any.
There you have it, the Thunderbolts. Plenty of other familiar faces are rumored to pop up, including Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, fresh off a Red Hulk rampage through Washington D.C., and Melina Vostokoff, Yelena’s fake mom and Alexei’s former fake wife, is rumored to appear too to help round out the Widow family. Like any good team, expect a few bumps in the road before this band of misfits figures out how to work together in an MCU that’s sorely missing The Avengers.