The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a franchise known for huge action blockbusters, with some deviations to their formula for applicable content, while A24 is an independent movie and television company that prioritizes an auteur’s aesthetic as well as more intimate character dynamics. Marvel capitalizes on a specific opportunity with Thunderbolts* and framed its latest marketing material for the upcoming movie within the context of the cast and crew’s A24 connection.
Kevin Feige and the MCU decision-makers clearly perceive A24 productions as having a niche filmmaking advantage, at least in terms of a project’s quality. And most importantly, the filmmakers may have purposefully brought some of those cinematic practices and perspectives to Thunderbolts*.
After all, the Thor trailer does not highlight director Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespearian background, and the advertisements for Avenger epics do not point out that many of the stars are Oscar nominees. This Thunderbolts* campaign is making a statement that the film is actually going for an A24 vibe.
The Thunderbolts* trailer hypes the cast as hailing from Midsommar, A Different Man, and You Hurt My Feelings. The first A24 film mentioned is Ari Aster’s near-masterwork of folk horror; Midsommar dropped in the summer of 2019 and was a huge step up from Aster’s feature directorial debut, Hereditary, the year prior. Yelena actress Florence Pugh starred in a truly trippy tale where her character struggles to survive the ceremonies of a crazed commune.
A Different Man is the most recent release of the trio listed in the commercial. Bucky actor Sebastian Stan deserved an Oscar nomination for his binary execution of a performing artist with a facial deformity. Stan ended up earning the Academy’s accolades for The Apprentice, which was distributed by another independent film company, while A Different Man was made by A24.
You Hurt My Feelings came out a few years ago, led by the veteran actress who portrays Contessa Valentina in the MCU, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. Lauded for her comedic TV achievements in Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Veep, yet her film performances in Enough Said and Tuesday have demonstrated her broadened range. But A24’s You Hurt My Feelings just may be the quintessential Julia Louis-Dreyfuss film role, so it would be surprising if her turn in Thunderbolts* can top that.
The commercial goes on to tout that Thunderbolts* is written and directed by the man behind Beef, Jake Schreier. That was one of A24’s TV series, which starred Steven Yeun. The Oscar nominee was supposed to make his MCU debut in Thunderbolts* as Sentry before scheduling conflicts forced Schreier to swap in Lewis Pullman. A24 is also involved in other successfully offbeat shows, such as Euphoria, Ramy, and The Curse.
Additional A24 credits in the Thunderbolts*'s teaser are The Green Knight cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, Hereditary production designer Grace Yun, Minari editor Harry Yoon, and Everything Everywhere All at Once musicians Son Lux. The latter were nominated for an Oscar for their work in the A24 Best Picture winner. Minari’s editing was also an important part of what made that movie an awards contender, and one of the best aspects of David Lowery’s unconventional medieval adaptation, The Green Knight, was the cinematography.
With the push to resemble an A24 production, Marvel may be signaling to film buffs that Thunderbolts will be a truly unique experience. However, if it ends up feeling like a straightforward Black Widow or Falcon and the Winter Soldier successor, that could be a bit of a letdown (even if it is a solid MCU entry). And for those wondering if A24 had any influence on Marvel Studios to shout out their much smaller production company, the studio’s response on X answers that question. A24 hilariously posted an image of Maddy from Euphoria realizing Lexi’s play is about her and her friends.
Aside from A24, Jake Schreier also revealed that the movie will draw inspiration from Toy Story 3 – can Thunderbolts top that animated triumph’s furnace sequence? The filmmakers and marketing team are certainly putting pressure on Thunderbolts* to deliver, while Marvel fans (and maybe even some A24 cinephiles) can decide for themselves if these associations are fitting when Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2, 2025.