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There are plenty of iconic teams across the Marvel Comics Universe. Groups like the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to supergroups in the Marvel Universe, and there is more than enough room for those teams and others to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, either on the big screen or on television on Disney Plus. While the MCU has been struggling somewhat to keep fans interested and engaged with each of their latest projects, there is still plenty of comic book source material to mine from and bring unique new stories to the MCU.

With the upcoming Thunderbolts film on the horizon, the MCU’s future is looking bright. Thunderbolts could easily be the jolt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to kick things back into high gear with its mix of action, espionage, heart, and science fiction intrigue. The movie and the Thunderbolts team themselves could very easily become staples of the live-action superhero franchise, and their future in relation to the Avengers and other MCU heroes and villains would be exceptionally exciting for fans.

The Thunderbolts Are a New Kind of Team for the MCU

The Moral Ambiguity of the Thunderbolts Makes Them Different From The Avengers

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thunderbolts team leans toward being more heroic, it’s clear that many of its members carry a sordid past, moral flexibility, or outright villainy. From the often unstable John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, to the enigmatic Taskmaster, the brash Red Guardian, and even Bucky Barnes himself, the Thunderbolts aren’t your typical MCU heroes. This ragtag team of misfits is far from another Avengers lineup or a knock-off of Guardians of the Galaxy. Instead, The Thunderbolts are stone-cold killers tasked with handling missions others in the Marvel Universe are too scared or principled to take on.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs something fresh—something beyond the overused tropes of the Avengers and their supporting characters. Fans love many of the MCU films because of their individuality and unique tone, qualities that have been sorely missing from several recent entries in the franchise. Even hits like Deadpool & Wolverine, while generally well-received, have fallen into the same traps that have plagued other recent MCU projects. Plus, Ryan Reynolds has said he doesn’t want Deadpool to be part of The Avengers, so it might be difficult to tell new stories with the character in the MCU. Bold storytelling, exciting action, and compelling character work will always trump surprise cameos and endless references. These are the qualities the MCU needs to embrace again, and Thunderbolts could easily be the project to lead that charge.


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The biggest mistake the Marvel Cinematic Universe could make with Thunderbolts is straying too far from their comic book roots. In the comics, the Thunderbolts are criminals; to be specific, they are supervillains disguised as brand-new heroes, led by the scheming Baron Zemo. They weren’t just another team of heroes with occasional disagreements or the rare instance of crossing the line. With so many MCU heroes already seemingly fine with killing their enemies, Thunderbolts needs to go a step further.

While the comic version of Thunderbolts revolved around villains masquerading as heroes for dangerous missions, the MCU’s version seems to center on morally questionable characters from both sides of the good guy/bad guy line who are looking for their place in the world. It’s an excellent premise, especially for a franchise that needs something new and bold, and it could make Thunderbolts a refreshing departure from the formula fans have come to expect.

The Events of the Thunderbolts Movie Should Have Major Consequences

The Thunderbolts Should Help Bring the Recent Disconnected MCU Plot Threads Together

Though the Thunderbolts film seems to be going for a more grounded, realistic take, similar to films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there’s still plenty of room for “comic booky” aspects and crazy science-fiction angles. Most of the characters on the actual Thunderbolts team seem to not have any major superpowers of their own. Yelena Belova is simply a terrifically gifted spy, the Red Guardian has enhanced strength and durability, Bucky has the same, as well as a vibranium arm, and John Walker gained super strength during the events of the Disney Plus series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

The only character on the team with a major power seems to be Ghost, who first appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp back in 2018. It seems odd that a team of mostly low-powered characters would be a major part of the MCU, but there’s one aspect from the upcoming Thunderbolts film that could completely disrupt the way fans think about powers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Sentry.


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Bob Reynolds, aka the Sentry, is set to make his MCU debut in Thunderbolts. Sentry is one of the most powerful beings in all of Marvel Comics history, and the height of his power levels seems to have never been officially found. While Bob Reynolds is incredibly powerful, he also struggles with false memories and other mental health issues, which is part of what makes him so interesting.

The Sentry was a major part of Norman Osborn’s time as director of H.A.M.M.E.R and was the leader of the Dark Avengers, an off-shoot team from Osborn’s original Thunderbolts. This connection to the Thunderbolts that Sentry has from the comics makes his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film all the more impactful, and it is clear that he is going to be a major player in the film, as well as hopefully moving forward in the MCU.


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With Sentry being as powerful as he is, anything could happen in Thunderbolts. It could become the very most important film or series in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame if they were to utilize Sentry’s abilities and lore to their fullest potential. The story of Bob Reynolds is an incredibly compelling, wonderfully sad one, and pitting the endlessly powerful entity against a group of humans with low-grade superpowers could make for a wonderfully tense film.

Additionally, if the Thunderbolts were to face off against a threat as big as the Sentry, it would bring into question why the Avengers weren’t there to assist or take over. It is currently unclear whether there’s an active Avengers team in the MCU, and Thunderbolts could clear that up. If, for some reason, the Avengers don’t exist in some capacity, that would also allow for the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s equivalent of the Dark Avengers, which was the next step in the evolution of the Thunderbolts in the original comics.

An Evil Avengers Group Would Threaten The MCU Like Never Before

While nobody on the current lineup of MCU Thunderbolts would exactly be classified as an official supervillain, there’s no doubt that there is certainly room for the team to grow and change and add more members to the roster. Characters like Baron Zemo, Bullseye, or Sentry could all be added officially to a new team of Thunderbolts, and they could take on the disguised roles of the Dark Avengers, positioning themselves as the heroes of the world. A status quo shift as major as that could definitely get people back into the MCU, and a real narrative thrust for the Cinematic Universe overall would do wonders for fans.


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The Dark Avengers are the perfect threat for a new team of Avengers to come together to face off against, and Thunderbolts could easily set the stage for this storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The concept would allow villains from past MCU films to return and take on significant roles within the new team, and the remaining heroes of the MCU would have to come together once again to face a new threat.

Whatever the future holds for the MCU, Thunderbolts has the potential to lead the charge. It would be a shame to waste such an intriguing group on just another generic throwaway film. The MCU can’t afford to continue delivering lackluster adaptations, and Thunderbolts could mark the beginning of a new wave of films that recapture the magic and excitement fans felt during the franchise’s early phases.

“}]] With the MCU struggling to remain relevant with fans old and new, the upcoming Thunderbolts film could rejuvinate the universe in exciting new ways.  Read More  

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