The titular team inThunderbolts*comprises reformed villains and antiheroes originating from the earliest days of theMCU, but the team would have looked much different if they were formed beforeAvengers: Infinity War. As it stands, the team is due to be headed up by Bucky Barnes, one of the MCU’s most beloved reformed villains, who continues to make amends for his unwitting villainy inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.The remainder of the Thunderbolts teamshares many similarities, with Bucky being joined by two more has-been super soldiers, two master assassins, and one ex-villain with phasing powers.
Partly because of this, there was some trepidationwhenThunderbolts*was first announced. While they are supposed to be a darker reflection of the Avengers, the Thunderbolts aren’t nearly as colorful or powerful as their distinctly more virtuous counterparts. This flies in the face of the original team from Marvel Comics, which has counted such outlandish villains as Charcoal and Goliath among its members.
Instead of relying on such characters that could mirror the distinctiveness of characters like Hulk, however,Thunderbolts*appears poised to hone in on the mentality of its titular team. Each shares sympathetictraits for which most of the MCU’s villainsare well known, with even its most outwardly villainous member, John Walker, being racked with remorse for his past actions. They are additionally on the hook with the US Government for their shady pasts. With that in mind, here are some clear contenders for the team should it have formed in MCU Phase 3.
What Characters Would Be On Marvel’s Thunderbolts In MCU Phase 3
Based On Their Status And Motivations At The Time
By MCU Phase 3, two of the current six Thunderbolts members were already well-established - namely, Bucky Barnes and Ghost. These are two foremost examples ofthe MCU’s sympathetic villains, and by MCU Phase 3 were already embarked on their arcs to remedy their past actions. Around the same time,four other MCU villains were incarcerated and would have made far better dark pastiches of the Avengers than the current make-upof Thunderbolts, which is essentially a team of Captain Americas and Black Widows. These include the following:
Incarcerated after orchestrating the events ofCaptain America: Civil War.
Bucky Barnes
Recuperating and in hiding in Wakanda after the events ofCaptain America: Civil War.
Ghost
On the run with Bill Foster after the events ofAnt-Man and the Wasp.
Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Incarcerated after the events ofSpider-Man: Homecoming.
Baron Zemo was the original founder of the Thunderbolts in Marvel Comics, and Daniel Brühl’s rendition of the character certainly struck a chord with fans when he debuted inCaptain America: Civil War. The same can be said for Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer, whom fans have been hoping would reemerge in the MCU for several years since he was last seen inIron Man 2and would be a fitting dark parallel to Iron Man. As an unscrupulous industrialist, he would be looking to improve his tarnished image.
Tim Roth’s Abomination was also due for a resurgenceand a shot at redemption afterThe Incredible Hulk.She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawshowed how Emil Blonsky has been pursuing redemption in the intervening years, which makes him a prime candidate to turn to heroics with a version of the Thunderbolts. Michael Keaton’s Vulture, meanwhile, is a prime example of a sympathetic villain that fans wanted to see more of. His appeal comes from the fact that he seeks only to support his family, and his unwillingness to rat-out Peter Parker shows that he harbors a good streak.
How The Sokovia Accords Would Affect Marvel’s Thunderbolts In Phase 3
The Sokovia Accords Would Have Impacted An Infinity Saga Team Of Thunderbolts Far More
With Baron Zemo sticking to comic book precedent by founding the Thunderbolts, it would have made sense for the team to come together afterCaptain America: Civil Warand the establishment of the Sokovia Accords.The Sokovia Accords are fundamentally about control, and specifically the oversight of super-powered individuals by governments across the world. With that in mind,this MCU Phase 3 team of Thunderbolts would have been particularly malleable under the Sokovia Accords, given that the majority were already incarcerated.
The Sokovia Accords have since been repealed in the MCU ahead ofThunderbolts*.
BeforeThunderbolts*trailers revealed that the teamseemed to be operating outside the bounds of government oversight, it was presumed that a similar fate would befall the team with Valentina Allegra De Fontaine pulling the strings. The MCU Phase 3 composition of Thunderbolts, by contrast, is far more likely to comply to help either make up for their more questionable pasts or as a bid for freedom.This would have made for a particularly compelling narrative in MCU Phase 3in particular, especially when spotlighting some fan-favorite MCU villains.
Why Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Would’ve Made Sense In Phase 3
It Would Have Given Marvel A Chance To Bring Some Fan-Favorite Villains Back To The Big Screen
The lineup for the Thunderbolts* (2025) above blurred images of Sentry and The Void from Marvel Comics
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook
While MCU Phase 3’s roster of potential Thunderbolts is decidedly more villainous than the current lineup, they would have been a more outwardly exciting prospect for casual moviegoers. Avengers movies tend to be spectacles thanks to the makeup of the eponymous team. It’s safe to say thata team comprising distinctive characters like Abomination and Vulture would be a more exciting onethan a team including two assassins with similar backgrounds and three super soldiers.
Now, it feels slightly too late to bring these characters back.
An MCU Phase 3 Thunderbolts movie wouldn’t just have beena chance for the MCU to capitalize on another team-up moviein its most successful phase, but would have provided an excellent opportunity for Marvel to re-establish some of its most popular villains. Now, it feels slightly too late to bring these characters back. While Yelena Belova and Red Guardian are certainly surprise fan favorites, audiences aren’t as enthused by the return of Taskmaster inThunderbolts*as they would be by the return of Justin Hammer.
