Sydney
June 21-22, 2025
Sydney Showground Olympic Park
Shortly after the Red Hulk wreaked havoc and a nefarious conspiracy was unveiled in Captain America: Brave New World, the MCU returns with Thunderbolts*. This team is not quite super, or heroic, but they are… all the MCU’s got left, to deal with the power of “one million exploding suns”?! If only the Avengers were available! Set to release on May 1 exclusively in cinemas, let’s examine who’s who and what to expect from this all-new super-star-studded team!
ASSEMBLING THE TEAM
Thunderbolts* features a mega-cast of talent, with a lot of fan-favourite characters returning from previous films and Disney+ series.
From 2021’s Black Widow, we have Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Alexei Shostakov/the Red Guardian (David Harbour). Suiting up with them are John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and longtime MCU staple James “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier from 2021’s Falcon and the Winter Solider.
Last, but certainly not least, are Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost from 2018’s Antman and the Wasp and newcomer Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds/Sentry.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’
Not much is known about the film’s plot or the ulterior motives of Valentina, who has been busy covertly recruiting formidable individuals for an Avengers-like cause. This motley crew of antiheroes and former villains constitute the “Thunderbolts”. For redacted reasons, they assemble for a dangerous mission, which leads them straight to Bob… which begs the question, who is Bob?
THE MYSTERY OF BOB
Bob is better known as Robert Reynolds aka the Sentry to comic fans. Let’s hope the Thunderbolts are careful, as this hero has quite the dark side to him…
In the comics, Sentry is born after Robert steals and drinks a variant of the Super Soldier Serum. Unlike Bucky, Steve Rogers, and the other super soldiers, he becomes a solar-powered superhero. Bob can transform into the Sentry, who possesses the power of “one million exploding suns” in the palm of his hand.
Unfortunately, his malevolent half was also manifested in the process – the Void, who can assume control at any time. With the Super Soldier Serum being a major catalyst in the MCU, one can speculate how Sentry will fit in the great tapestry of this ever-expanding universe. Speaking of the universe’s mysteries, what exactly are the “Thunderbolts”?
THUNDERBOLTS RISING
“’Justice, like lightning, ever should appear – to few men ruin, but to all men fear.’ Our hope is that we can be that lightning – that justice.” – Citizen V.
(L-R): Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*‘
Despite the name, the origins of the Thunderbolts have no connection to Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a regular misconception. Instead, this all-new superhero team was founded by the mysterious Citizen V in the comics. After first appearing in Incredible Hulk Vol 1 #499, it is revealed that the team was founded on a ruse.
During this time, the Avengers and Fantastic Four were presumed dead, destroyed by the chaos of Onslaught. Citizen V, better known as Baron Zemo, seized the opportunity to reinvent the Masters of Evil. The masquerade was short-lived though. Zemo himself outed the Thunderbolts when the presumed dead heroes returned, as retribution to the team members that enjoyed their heroic duties.
After a few more iterations of Thunderbolts, Norman Osborn (without the pumpkins and glider) took the reins. His not-so-sinister, greater-than-six team became popular with fans during the Civil War and Secret Invasion events. Eventually, they were disbanded and relaunched by Osborn as the Dark Avengers, who donned shiny new armour of his own to lead victoriously as the Iron Patriot.
BEHIND THE ACTION
Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts*’
This all leads to the elephant-sized ‘*’ in the room. What does the ‘*’ mean in ‘Thunderbolts*’? Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have teased what it could possibly mean, but nothing’s palpable just yet. Fans hope these teases indicate a name change favouring the “Dark Avengers”. After all, Sentry is part of the Dark Avengers line-up in the comics. With the Avengers currently missing in the MCU, the potential of that asterisk is infinite!
In an interview with Deadline earlier this year, Sebastian Stan described his experience working on Thunderbolts*. “I don’t feel you can compare it to any previous Marvel movie, and that’s because of the group of characters in this film and these actors. I couldn’t have had a better time than I did with David Harbour, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.”
Stan elaborated further, “It’s a little bit like The Breakfast Club. It has its own vibe, and it’s funny, and it’s real, and we did actual real stunts. Like when you’re watching a truck blow up, it’s a truck blown up. It’s not CGI.”
Thunderbolts* promises to be a satisfying action-packed coda to Phase Five of the MCU. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, fans can anticipate something truly Marvellous!
