After the success of Daredevil: Born Again, everyone hopes that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will keep its momentum with the release of Thunderbolts*. The upcoming team-up movie will shine the spotlight on some of Marvel's most flawed characters, all of whom have done horrible things in their past. But while this team of misfits seems to be the perfect recipe for disaster, the movie's early reactions have been anything but.
Some are calling it Marvel's best movie in recent memory, others highlight its emotional story, and everyone praises Florence Pugh's performance. Oh, and there also appear to be some shocking post-credits scenes added to the mix as well.
Expectations couldn't be any higher heading into the Thunderbolts* premiere. But while Marvel has caught lightning in a bottle yet again with an unlikely team-up of "heroes", it seems the titular roster was set to be very different in the very early stages of development. A misunderstood Marvel TV character was pitched to be a part of the team, and its presence could've radically changed the movie altogether.
Werewolf by Night's Man-Thing almost appeared in Thunderbolts*
As revealed during the latest issue of SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier initially wanted Man-Thing to be a part of the movie. But while the character's appearance didn't come to fruition, "it all worked out for the best".
"I think there was a point during pitching when I really wanted Man-Thing to be on the team (...) It was about looking through the MCU and not just finding bad guys who could be good but characters that exist more on that morally grey plane or who were potentially destined for something else but then something went awry. Or maybe they're just misunderstood."
Man-Thing has been looming in the background of the MCU for time now. While the swamp monster made his proper debut in the Werewolf by Night Special Presentation, he was first mentioned by Maria Hill in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. back in 2014. His comic-book wife, Ellen Brandt, appeared in Iron Man 3 even earlier in 2013. Finally, audiences can also see a sculpture of him in the Grandmaster's Palace at Sakaar during the events of Thor: Ragnarok, indicating he traveled to space way before Steve Rogers got the chance to do so. Unfortunately, these easter eggs aren't enough to make a proper, cohesive story.
The origin of all members of the Thunderbolts has been explored in other movies and TV shows. Audiences have had the chance to get to know every single one of them and learn why they wouldn't appear to be ready for the "superhero" life. Ghost's backstory was explained in Ant-Man and The Wasp, Yelena Belova, Task Master, and the Red Guardian made their debut in the Black Widow movie, Bucky has been a recurring face of the MCU, and U.S. Agent acted as a misunderstood (and sometimes unhinged) Captain America during the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Unfortunately, Man-Thing hasn't enjoyed having such an extensive backstory yet.
It's been rumored that Marvel is planning to create a Midnight Sons movie for quite some time now. If that were to be the case, then it would be the perfect place for both Man-Thing and Werewolf to make a proper comeback. Furthermore, with the rumors that Marvel has momentarily scrapped Blade and that Moon Knight won't appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, you can't help but wonder if maybe all of these "supernatural" characters will be at the center of the spotlight once the Multiverse Saga comes to an end.
While it's common to hear the saying "the more, the merrier", perhaps it indeed was for the best that Man-Thing didn't appear in Thunderbolts*. After all, he would've been a tonally different character compared to the rest of the team. Besides, now audiences have the chance to further explore his origin and motivations in a supernatural-centric story. With that in mind, let's hope that it won't be long before he appears in another MCU project.
Thunderbolts* will be released on May 2, 2025.