Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic-Con that the MCU’s Phase 5 will come to a close with a Thunderbolts film. He did not however, tell us what characters we can expect to see in that film. While we likely won’t have to wait long for that reveal, we do have some time to speculate as to who we might see.
First, some background. The Thunderbolts are a team of “reformed” villains that acted as heroes. They made their Marvel Comics debut in 1996, with a lineup that included Baron Zemo, Hawkeye, Songbird, Goliath and several other lesser known characters. Over the years, the team has seen many iterations and included other major characters like Luke Cage, Norman Osborn, Venom, Bullseye and many more.
With that being said, there are a lot of great candidates already in the MCU that could make great additions to the first Thunderbolts team.
Zemo
This seems like the most obvious choice for a member of the MCU’s Thunderbolts. Zemo has been synonymous with the team since her was the leader of the original iteration. Last we saw Zemo in the MCU, he was executing his plans (and several members of the Flag Smashers) from a cell in the Raft. He’s clearly a very dangerous man, despite not actually having any superpowers. He’s the kind of calculating villain that would make for the perfect leader of this team.
Yelena
We may have already seen the early stages of the Thunderbolts being assembled. Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has popped up a couple of times to hand out assignments to her assets, one of which is none other than the sister of the Black Widow. Yelena would certainly be a worthy inclusion for this team, having already tangled with characters like Hawkeye and Echo. Yelena has had some questionable judgment in both the comics and the MCU to this point so the Thunderbolts might just be the right place for her.
US Agent
And speaking of Val’s assets and questionable judgment, John Walker also seems like a great fit for the team. The U.S. Agent can serve as this team’s Captain America equivalent, a dynamic that has existed between the Thunderbolts and Avengers in the comics. It would be very interesting if both Zemo and Walker are members of this team, given their history from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. John is a loose cannon with a lot of muscle and a lot of skill, which are essentially Thunderbolts prerequisites.
Ghost
This would be a very interesting inclusion for the team because it feels as though this character’s story has not reached its end. Last we saw Ghost, she was getting some help from the Pyms and Scott Lang from the Quantum Realm while she was still fighting to survive. One could assume a brilliant scientist like Bill Foster may have figured out a solution to her problem by now. If that’s the case, Ghost is just the right mix of unique ability and questionable past for this team.
Taskmaster
This is another character that translates directly from the comics to the screen. Taskmaster has had a history as a member and leader of the Thunderbolts so it would make sense to include the MCU version of the character, even if it’s a very different version. Taskmaster was freed from her mind control in the end of Black Widow and likely had a whole lot of ways she can put her skills to use out there. And with the skills she has, you can bet she was immediately on Val’s radar.
Abomination
Just in case the Thunderbolts go up against an army, they may need a hulk. Bruce Banner isn’t really available these days so Emil Blonsky will have to do. We know this character still has a story to be told with his recent appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as well as his upcoming role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Of course Val and anyone else is pulling the Thunderbolts strings is going to be aware of a giant beast that kind of broke… Harlem. Again, the formula works out: lots of power plus not-so-great moral values.
The Punisher
And just to completely turn this team into a powder keg, let’s add a little Frank Castle to the mix. I know, Fank isn’t really existing in the MCU just yet, but it seems like he’ll be coming eventually. Jon Bernthal did an awesome job with the character for his Netflix series and a lot of fans would love to see that carry into the MCU. If that does end up being the case, he’s another character with Thunderbolts history in the comics and a willingness to shoot first and ask questions later. Just imagine the power struggle between Frank, Zemo and Walker over who the leader of this team is, while Yelena watches from the side knowing it’s really her.
There are dozens of other characters that can pop up between now and the theatrical debut of Thunderbolts, which is currently slated for July 28, 2024. While these existing characters might make a lot of sense now, it may be a totally different situation two years from now. Either way, Marvel fans are in for a wild ride with this movie.