Recently rumors have circulated that Marvel is developing a ton of exciting projects including a Thunderbolts film that will begin production in the next few years. Fans have been eagerly awaiting this news since The Falcon And The Winter Soldier when it seemed Marvel was laying the ground work for this infamous team of former villains.
In the comics the Thunderbolts were initially created by Baron Zemo in the absence of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Zemo wanted to use the public trust of becoming superheroes to gain access to SHIELD and Avengers secrets that he could then sell on the black market. However, many of the reformed villains actually enjoyed becoming heroes and fought against Zemo after his plan was revealed. The Thunderbolts have been fugitives trying to prove their heroism and parolees working for the government.
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In many ways the Thunderbolts are Marvel’s version of the Suicide Squad. Given the success of the Suicide Squad for DC, it is no surprise that Marvel wants to capitalize on their own morally grey characters. The Thunderbolts film is rumored to begin production in 2023 which shouldn’t come as a huge shock to fans, as it seems Marvel Studios has been setting it up since Phase 4 began with the introduction of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
THE POSSIBLE MCU THUNDERBOLTS LINE UP
Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine began to collect those with powers or abilities that don’t necessarily fit the idea of a hero since she made her debut in the MCU. In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Valentina swooped in when John Walker loses his shine as the new Captain America after he publicly and brutally killed a person. Valentina eventually got John a new suit and a new name, US Agent, who is excited at the prospect of being a “hero” once more.
Valentina also has ties to Yelena Belova which was revealed in the Black Widow post credit scene. Yelena clearly worked for Valentina for a while before Valentina pointed her in Clint Barton’s direction. While at Natasha’s grave Valentina told Yelena that Clint was responsible for Natasha’s death and sent her after the archer in search of vengeance. Why exactly Valentina sent Yelena after Clint isn’t completely clear, but with Hawkeye right around the corner hopefully more about the mysterious power player and her plans will be revealed.
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John Walker is not the only character from The Falcon And The Winter Soldier that could potentially join this team. The series seemed to set Baron Zemo up as a perfect fit for the Thunderbolts. Zemo worked with Sam and Bucky to stop the new super soldiers and he had some surprisingly good points about the dangers of the super soldier serum. But what makes Zemo a perfect fit for the Thunderbolts is while he is willing to work with those deemed heroes he is also willing to do whatever it takes to complete his objective.
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