What’s Going On With Marvel’s Thunderbolts Movie?

Recently, rumors have been circulating online that Marvel’s Thunderbolts might be canceled, in part due to some behind the scenes changes to the film’s script and to its cast. While this type of news might cast doubt on the upcoming MCU movie, in truth these aren’t very uncommon for a movie that is still in pre-production. Recent comments from star Florence Pugh and Disney CEO Bob Iger have also created some doubt surrounding Marvel’s Thunderbolts, but their words have been taken slightly out of context in some circumstances.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts is set to release in July 2025. The movie will focus on a team consisting of a mixture of heroes and villains, which appears to have been assembled by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Reports are that Bucky will be leading the Thunderbolts, though General “Thunderbolt” Ross’ inclusion in the film would suggest that he also has a role to play in directing the team. The team will also include Yelena Belova, John Walker, Red Guardian, Ghost from Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Black Widow‘s Taskmaster. There also seem to be plans to include the Sentry, a new MCU character.

No, Thunderbolts’ 2025 Release Is Not Delayed

Recently, Bob Iger and Florence Pugh have made comments about Marvel’s Thunderbolts that have caused online speculation that the film might be delayed or possibly canceled. However, these rumors have not been substantiated in any way, and Disney is still planning to release Thunderbolts on time on July 25, 2025. When a movie is delayed, there is typically an explicit announcement made. For example, Captain America: Brave New World was confirmed to be delayed following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Florence Pugh’s Cancelation Comments Explained

Florence Pugh recently commented on how Marvel’s Thunderbolts was effected by the strikes. During the interview, she said that, “[Marvel’s Thunderbolts] kind of feels like it still might not happen because of the amount of times it has been paused.” These comments have since been taken out of context and used as proof that the movie might not be happening. However, Pugh’s entire quote makes it clear that things are still on track.

Immediately following this, Pugh said that she would be going straight from Dune: Part Two‘s press circuit to start filming Marvel’s Thunderbolts. Pugh made sure to confirm that the movie was still happening, and that Yelena would be returning to the MCU soon. Pugh’s full comments on the matter can be read below:

“It kind of feels like it still might not happen because of the amount of times it has been paused, which is just a natural feeling. But I’m going straight after this. When we’re done with press, I’m going to Atlanta and start doing some prep and do a bit more press with you guys, and then I’m off — I’m shooting.

[…]

And it’s wonderful. When we shot Black Widow, we thought we were going to shoot the next movie relatively sooner than we did, and it’s just been this thing that’s been looming, that we’ve been waiting to shoot at some point in the future, and now it’s finally happening, so it feels surreal, but it’s coming back. Yelena’s coming back.”

Why Bob Iger Snubbed Thunderbolts

When recently discussing Marvel’s 2025 releases, Bob Iger only mentioned Captain America: Brave New World and Marvel’s Fantastic Four. This led to more speculation that Thunderbolts may be delayed or possibly canceled. However, there is no actual evidence to back this up. Iger also failed to mention Blade, which is also scheduled to release in 2025.

It doesn’t seem that Iger’s comments were ever intended to be a comprehensive list of Marvel’s 2025 release slate. At the time, he was making a point about focusing more on Marvel’s big-name franchises. Because Captain America and The Fantastic Four are more well-known properties than the Thunderbolts, it makes sense that Iger would use those two movies as his examples, and not mention other films that weren’t as relevent.

Thunderbolts Recastings Explained

Aside from cancelation rumors, there have also been some changes to the cast of Marvel’s Thunderbolts. Initially, it was reported that Steven Yeun would be playing the Sentry and that Ayo Edebiri would be in the film in an unspecified role. However, both actors have since departed the project, and Marvel recast Edebiri’s role with Geraldine Viswanathan. Though there has been no official announcement that he will be playing Sentry, Top Gun: Maverick star Lewis Pullman has reportedly replaced Yeun in the cast.

While two actors dropping out of Marvel’s Thunderbolts might seem like another red flag for the film’s production, there is a very easy explanation for it. Due to the film’s delayed production, both Yeun and Edebiri ran into scheduling conflicts that would make them unable to be a part of Marvel’s Thunderbolts. These conflicts don’t reflect the quality or overall status of the movie, but instead are the result of the actors’ previous commitments.

Whenever a film is scheduled for rewrites or reshoots, there is a level of concern that this could indicate some sort of problems with the movie. However, rewrites are pretty common, especially for movies that are still in pre-production. News of rewrites for Marvel’s Thunderbolts came back in March 2023, meaning there was a lot of time for Marvel to get the details of the movie right before shooting. MCU executive producer Louis D’Esposito also mentioned that most Marvel movies get reworked at some point during production in The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Though it might seem from an outside perspective that Marvel’s Thunderbolts has had a lot of issues, nothing surrounding the film is uncommon for a production. The film’s delayed production and recasts have been the result of external events, namely the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, so there aren’t any significant concerns about the quality of the actual movie. Unless Marvel explicitly says that the movie is delayed or canceled, the concerns surrounding it appear to be more reflective of current speculation. As such, Marvel’s Thunderbolts is currently still seemingly on track for its 2025 release date.

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