Thunderbolts * Cast & Marvel Character Guide

Several MCU characters return for Marvel Studios’ thunderbolts*Put a darker spin on an Avengers-style superhero team. thunderbolts* was officially announced as part of the MCU timeline in July 2022, with Beef Jake Schreier set to direct, meanwhile Thor: Ragnarok And Black Widow Writer Eric Pearson was attached to the script, although he would later be replaced by BeefS Lee Sung Jin. At the 2022 D23 Expo, after several Phase 4 projects teased the debut of the Thunderbolts, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige unveiled the main cast for The film marks the return of several MCU actors who have previously portrayed morally questionable characters.

thunderbolts* Will act as a sequel to projects such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp, And Captain America: New World OrderBringing together some anti-heroes and reformed villains who would not have met otherwise. Initially, the casting of three actors from Black Widow And the return of Pearson as a writer led to speculation that thunderbolts* Was going to be a pseudo-sequel to the Phase 4 film, but Lee Sung Jin’s rewrite is believed to have shifted the focus. Scheduled for release on July 26, 2024, thunderbolts* Boasting an impressive cast for the upcoming MCU movie to tap into.

Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes, AKA the Winter Soldier

Last seen: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Sebastian Stan debuted as Bucky Barnes in 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger As the childhood friend of Steve Rogers, who fought alongside Captain America as a member of the Howling Commandos. After apparently falling to his death, Bucky is taken prisoner by Hydra and turned into the Winter Soldier, a super soldier and deadly assassin, though he is eventually broken free of this conditioning after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

After that, Bucky was called the “White Wolf” by the people of Wakanda, who helped him rehabilitate and begin to undo the effects that years of existing as a human weapon had on the hero. Bucky then helped Sam Wilson transition into the MCU’s new Captain America, and is set to appear in thunderbolts* As a key member of the new team.

In the teaser trailer, Bucky appears to be actively tracking Yelena, Alexei, and Yu. it. agent, making it unclear when he will join the team. After his short hair in The Falcon and the Winter SoldierBucky is sporting longer hair again, reminiscent of his time as the Winter Soldier.

Florence Pooh as Yelena Belova, aka Black Widow

Last seen: Hawkeye

During Black WidowNatasha Romanoff reunites with her surrogate family, including her sister, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Both Romanoff and Yelena were trained in the Red Room to be black widow assassins, and while Romanoff joined SHIELD, Yelena spent years following General Draykov’s commands.

She was finally released Black Widow and helped free the other women while bringing down the Red Room, though she has since fallen under the spell of Valentina, who sent her to kill Clint Barton during Hawkeye. After learning the truth of Black Widow’s sacrifice in Avengers: EndgameYelena spared Barton’s life, but somehow still found herself joining the Thunderbolts in Phase 5.

Yelena was the main focus of the teaser trailer, showing her engaging in various action scenes and meeting Alexei. Eventually comes into contact with U.S. it. Agent, Ghost, Taskmaster and Bob as they all realize that they were brought together for some reason.

Wyatt Russell as John Walker, AKA Yu. it. Agent

Last seen: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Debuted Wyatt Russell as John Walker, the man who assumed the Captain America moniker in the wake of Steve Rogers’ retirement and Sam Wilson’s refusal to accept the role. While Walker seemed like the perfect candidate to become Captain America, his temper, ego, and pride led him to become a twisted version of the patriotic hero, even to the point of bludgeoning a flag smasher to death with the Shield.

Although he was fired from this coveted position, Valentina recruited Walker and turned him into a U.S. soldier. it. Agent. With the super-soldier serum in his veins, he makes a strong, if unstable, addition to thunderbolts*. In the teaser trailer, John Walker is seen in the trailer sitting next to what appears to be his child and then donning the US uniform. it. agent uniform that he had at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. His uniform no longer looks new, indicating that he is working as a U.S. Army officer. it. agent since his last appearance.

David Harbor as Alexei Shostakov, AKA Red Guardian

Last seen: Black Widow

the second Black Widow character on the thunderbolts* List comes in the form of Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova’s father figure, Alexei. David Harbor debuted as the Russian super soldier in the MCU’s Phase 4, the Soviets’ answer to the United States’ Captain America.

Alexei was given a version of the super-soldier serum during the Cold War and fought for years in the Soviet military. After his ally, General Draykov, arrested him, Alexei sought revenge by helping his daughters eliminate the Red Room in Black Widow. The Red Guardian is one of three super soldiers on the Thunderbolts teamSo the balance of power will be interesting to explore.

Alexei is visited by his “daughter” Yelena in the trailer. His house is a mess, and he’s sporting a new buzz with his beard bigger than ever. Melina Vostokoff is nowhere to be seen in the trailer, which raises questions about what happened between her and Alexei.

Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr, AKA Ghost

Last seen: Ant-Man & The Wasp

Originally thought to be a one-and-done villain for Ant-Man and the WaspAva Starr, aka Ghost, is set to make her MCU return thunderbolts*. Hannah John-Kamen debuts as the villain in the MCU’s Phase 3, revealed to have gained the ability to make herself intangible and generate huge amounts of power after a quantum accident left her orphaned as a child.

Ghost was taken under the wing of then-SHIELD employee Bill Foster, but has not been seen or mentioned since Ant-Man and the Wasp. With Laurence Fishburne set to reprise the role of Foster for What if…? Season 2, it’s great to see John-Kamen return as Ghost for thunderbolts*. With a sleek new look, Ghost seems to have much better control of her powers than In Ant-Man and the WaspProving that she seems to have been busy with her last performance.

Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Draykov, aka Taskmaster

Last seen: Black Widow

As the daughter of General Draykov, Taskmaster is the third character of Black Widow to have a role in thunderbolts*. After being presumably killed by Natasha Romanoff to guarantee her defection to SHIELD, Antonia Drykov is transformed into the Taskmaster.

A chip installed in her body allowed her father to control her every move, while also giving her strange mimicry techniques that allowed her to perfectly copy the fighting styles of anyone she watched, including members of the Avengers. Released at the end of Black Widow, Antonia’s MCU future was unclear before her casting thunderbolts*A film that will see you reunite with Yelena and the Red Guardian.

Not much new information can be gleaned about Taskmaster from the teaser trailer apart from an updated look compared to her outfit in Black Widow. Now that Antonia Drykov is free, the outfit change may be a choice she made to reflect her newfound freedom.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Last seen: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus debuted as the mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (“Val”) in The Falcon and the Winter SoldierRecruiting John Walker for an unknown purpose. Her next appearance was during Black Widow Post-credits scene, which featured her sending Yelena Belova to assassinate Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.

But, it was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Which finally started to explain who Val is, as she was revealed to be not only the ex-wife of Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross, but also the director of the CIA. In the MCU. This suggests that the Thunderbolts are a government-funded team, though What Val’s purpose for the team actually involves is yet to become clear.

Valentina plays an interesting role in the teaser trailer, appearing in some sort of gala or exhibition with Loki’s scepter. How this will play out in the film is yet to be determined, but it seems intentional. She also talks to the eventual members of the Thunderbolts in what appears to be Avengers Tower, indicating that her organization may have been the one to purchase it.

Lewis Pullman as Bob

First appearance

Pullman’s casting was reported in January 2024, with him replacing Steven Yeun following the latter actor’s departure from the MCU production. Although it has not yet been officially confirmed, the role Pullman is stepping into is popularly believed to be that of Marvel’s Sentry, a powerful superhero often compared to DC’s Superman.

This was further supported by the Marvel panel at the July 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, in which Pullman’s character was revealed to be named “Bob”, as this could be a nickname in reference to Sentry’s full name of Robert Reynolds. This seems to be confirmed in the teaser trailer as “Bob” is shown to be bullet proof after showing his hospital gown with bullet holes in it without a scratch on it underneath. This hints at one of Sentry’s powers which is invulnerability.

Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross

Last seen: Black Widow (as William Hurt)

The late William Hurt originally portrayed General Thaddeus Ross in various MCU projects, including The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, And Black Widow. However, after the death of the legendary actor in 2022, Star Wars And Indiana Jones Star Harrison Ford was recast in the role, set to make his debut as Ross in Captain America: Brave New World. An October 2022 report from The Hollywood Reporter declared that Ford will also appear in thunderbolts*And while it wasn’t officially confirmed at the time, it would make sense given the character’s current trajectory.

Throughout his MCU career, Ross has moved from general to secretary of state, and Kevin Feige revealed that Ross will be the new President of the United States in Brave New World And thunderbolts*. This makes his impending transformation into the Red Hulk – as confirmed to be upcoming in the Captain America: Brave New World Trailer – even more terrifying.

Ross becoming the Red Hulk could also be what sets the stage for the Thunderbolts to be made into the MCU in the first place, or to provide Ross with a government agency more suited to dealing with these kinds of intense assassination attempts Captain America: Brave New World out to show him to navigate. Otherwise, it is possible the President’s desire to bring the Avengers back as a government-controlled group in Brave New World Leads him to create a team of his own if he comes into conflict with Sam Wilson over the Avengers, leading to an antihero-based group instead.

Thunderbolts support cast & characters

Geraldine Viswanathan – In January 2023, it was reported that Ayo Edebiri had joined the cast of Thunderbolts in an undisclosed role. A year later, Edebiri stepped down from the role, reportedly due to time constraints, leading Geraldine Viswanathan to replace her as an as-yet-unknown character. Viswanathan took to social media to playfully thank her predecessor for his “Also booked” to continue in the role. She appears briefly in the teaser trailer, but her role in the film is still unclear.

Steven Yeun left with Thunderbolts in January 2024

Star of The Walking Dead, NoAnd InvincibleSteven Yeun was cast in thunderbolts* In February 2023, apparently in a key role, which was all but confirmed to be Sentry. Yeun recently worked with Lee Sung Jin and Jake Schreier on Netflix BeefSo his involvement in thunderbolts* Along with his previous collaborators was an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, Yeun backed out thunderbolts* in January 2024 due to scheduling issues caused by delays in production.