28 Years Later, The Thunderbolts are Getting a Different Origin Story Because the MCU Fumbled An Iconic Villain

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next superhero team has finally arrived. Thunderbolts* introduces its titular team, consisting of reformed villains, antiheroes, and other ragtag characters who never fit in anywhere else in the MCU. Consisting of Yelena Belova, the Winter Soldier, Ghost, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, and Taskmaster, the first live-action rendition of the Thunderbolts makes its debut in theaters on May 2, marking the final film in Phase 5.

The new Thunderbolts* movie reimagines the team’s origins for the MCU, taking a severe deviation from their comic book counterpart. In this version, the team forms more or less out of necessity, as they band together after each is betrayed by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Several key aspects are missing from the team’s comic book origins, with the MCU choosing to portray the Thunderbolts as a ragtag team of unruly superheroes, whereas the comics portray them very differently. The MCU had all the elements necessary to adapt the comic book origins of the Thunderbolts, but chose to leave an integral character out of the team’s backstory.

Baron Zemo Started the Thunderbolts in the Comics

Zemo’s Thunderbolts Had Ulterior Motives for Their Heroic Actions

The comic book version of the Thunderbolts is a far cry from the MCU’s new superhero team. The Thunderbolts enter the scene at a crucial point in the Marvel Universe, emerging after most of the world’s heroes disappear during a fight with Onslaught. In the massive void left in their wake, villains run rampant, forcing the few remaining heroes to work twice as hard to protect the world from their evil. Baron Helmut Zemo, the leader of the Masters of Evil, hatches a sinister plan to capitalize on the Avengers’ disappearance. Zemo, posing as the superhero Citizen V, convinces the other Masters of Evil to pose as a new superhero team, calling themselves the Thunderbolts. By saving civilians and defeating supervillains, the Thunderbolts aim to gain the world’s trust and eventually gain access to the highly classified Avengers Files, which would make them more powerful than ever before.

The first rendition of the Thunderbolts has Zemo as its leader, remaining masked as Citizen V to hide the recognizable scarring on his face. The other Masters of Evil take on new names as well, with Goliath becoming Atlas, the Beetle posing as Mach-1, the Fixer masquerading as Techno, Moonstone adopting the moniker of Meteorite, and Screaming Mimi becoming Songbird. Together, the Thunderbolts immediately gained the world’s attention by swooping in to save New York City from various threats left behind in the Avengers’ absence. After saving Franklin Richards from a plot by the Mad Thinker, the Thunderbolts are giving Four Freedoms Plaza, the former headquarters of the Fantastic Four, to serve as their new base of operations. There, they continue to play out their long scheme, though many members of the Thunderbolts are surprised to find themselves increasingly enticed by the idea of being superheroes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Fumbled Zemo’s Storyline

The MCU Could Have Done So Much More With Baron Zemo

Baron Zemo already exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though he appears to have no connection to the franchise’s version of the Thunderbolts. Daniel Brühl first appears as the villain during the events of Captain America: Civil War, where he manipulates the Avengers into fighting one another, ripping them apart from the inside. This is an explosive introduction to Zemo, who quickly establishes himself as one of the MCU’s best villains, relying on his intelligence rather than brawn to defeat his enemies. The character appears once more in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where he begrudgingly teams up with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to defeat the Flag-Smashers. He is last seen imprisoned in the Raft, where he still uses his minions on the outside to accomplish his mission of ridding the world of super-soldiers. Nevertheless, the MCU seems wholly uninterested in continuing Baron Zemo’s storyline, as evidenced by the franchise’s decision to leave the iconic villain out of the first Thunderbolts lineup.

Zemo hasn’t been seen after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, suggesting that the villain is still rotting away in the Raft, biding his time until he makes his next move. This is the perfect setup to have Zemo recruited to the Thunderbolts, even if he doesn’t fulfill his original role as the team’s founder. However, the MCU has seemingly forgotten about Zemo, with the character’s next appearance remaining unconfirmed for four years. He is absent from Captain America: Brave New World, a film that features plenty of his enemies and even makes a visit to the Raft, and doesn’t appear to be included in Thunderbolts*. With the events of Phase 6 steering toward Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it seems unlikely that Zemo will appear until after the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, if at all. This proves the MCU bungled its chance to do more with Zemo’s storyline, failing to create a character who could have easily been the franchise’s greatest villain.

Will Zemo Ever Join the MCU’s Thunderbolts?

The MCU’s Thunderbolts Are More Heroic Than Their Comic Book Counterpart

If Thunderbolts* is successful, Marvel Studios seems devoted to the idea of fleshing out the team as an integral part of the MCU moving forward. With reviews for the upcoming movie extremely positive, audiences will likely see plenty more of the new superhero team beyond the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. Therefore, there remains a slim possibility that Baron Zemo could join the MCU’s Thunderbolts in future team-ups. The team of ragtag superhumans and secret agents could always use a mastermind who is always thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else. Conversely, none of the Thunderbolts could ever fully trust Zemo, who they know will betray them the first chance he gets. This would add an extra layer of intrigue to the Thunderbolts team as they wonder if they can truly trust all of their compatriots.

On the other hand, the MCU seems to be building up the Thunderbolts as an offshoot of the Avengers team. This version of the team is more in line with later renditions of the comic book Thunderbolts, who become more heroic over time (without Zemo’s negative influence). With the MCU steering away from the Thunderbolts’ nefarious origin, there may not be a place for Zemo on the team. The Thunderbolts are set to join forces with the Avengers during the events of Doomsday, further cementing the idea that the new team will be considered an ally of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The Avengers would never accept someone like Zemo in their inner circle, making it less likely that audiences will ever see the supervillain join the team.

Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2.

“}]] Baron Zemo founded the Thunderbolts in the comics, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest mistake means the team needs a new origin.  Read More