Thunderbolts* may never repeat the comics’ biggest twist (but will need to match it)

The MCU thunderbolts* Movie won’t be able to recreate the team’s best comic twist, so Marvel will have to find a new way to match it instead. The MCU’s Thunderbolts team will officially be introduced in 2025, featuring a handful of established MCU anti-heroes. The likes of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker and more will team up under the guidance of Valentina Allgra de Fontaine to complete a mission for the US government. Although the Thunderbolts are new to the MCU timeline, the group has a long run in the Marvel comics.

The Thunderbolts made brief appearances in other Marvel Comic series before appearing in their first solo issue in 1997. Created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley Thunderbolts Comic followed the team after the apparent demise of the Avengers and Fantastic Four during the Heroes Reborn era. The Thunderbolts step up to fill the gap on Earth left by the heroes, only for a big surprise about their true identities to be revealed on the last page. It’s an iconic plot twist, though It will be almost impossible for thunderbolts* To pull it off.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts team has always been associated with big twists

The Thunderbolts have one of the greatest comic book twists

In the comics, the Thunderbolts have what is considered one of the best comic book plot twists of all time. The Avengers and Fantastic Four are thrown into another universe and presumed dead by the public, so the Thunderbolts decide to step up to protect Earth in their absence. The team consisted of MACH-1, Techno, Atlas, Songbird, Meteorite, and their leader Citizen V, and they became the heroes Earth needed. However, the last page of the first issue reveals that The Thunderbolts are actually the villain group Masters of Evil in Disguise.

Citizen V was Baron Helmut Zemo, who reunited his old supervillain allies from the Lords of Evil to pose as a superhero team. Their plan was to gain the trust of the public and government so that they could build a position of power and gain access to the valuable secrets of the Avengers and SHIELD. ‘ true identity has ever been leaked before, making it one of the most shocking twists from Marvel Comics.

Thunderbolts* can’t possibly repeat the comic book three

The identities of the MCU Thunderbolts have already been exposed

Although the original Thunderbolts Plot twist would make for an amazing on-screen adaptation, it will be mostly impossible for the MCU thunderbolts* To do so. Aside from Zemo, none of the original Thunderbolt members from the comics have appeared in the MCU, which is why the film uses characters that audiences already know. Having an established cast of characters is a much better option than introducing an entirely new team with unknown members, but it makes it impossible for the MCU to pull off the exact plot twist that puts the Thunderbolts on the map.

Since fans have already seen the backstories of most of the Thunderbolts members, there is no way for Marvel to hide their identities now and portray them as villains cosplaying heroes. The Thunderbolts have all appeared in previous MCU projects and ranged from villains to anti-heroes, so Their identities as the bad guys are already common knowledge. Although the film treats the Thunderbolts as a hero group, each member is aware that they are not a hero in the traditional sense and this is the dynamic that connects them all.

How will the MCU honor the legacy of the Thunderbolts’ “shock twist”?

Some team members may still hide their true intentions

With the Thunderbolts name in the comics becoming synonymous with plot twists, the MCU needs to find a way to honor their legacy somehow. They may not be able to recreate the exact twist that popularized the comics, but there are still ways the film could include surprises. Although some have been more well-received than others, Marvel has never resisted a shock twist in a project. With the diversity of characters in the thunderbolts* Figure, there is opportunity there.

The MCU has been pretty transparent with the Thunderbolts’ true identities so far, but the film could still put a twist on one of them. The team is sure to initially clash, so Marvel could have one of these characters hide their true intentions While working with the team. It may also be revealed that the US government is using the team for malicious intent under the pretense that they are helping in some way, dividing the morale of the members. thunderbolts* They will not be able to repeat the biggest twist of the comics, but they can still pay homage to his legacy.