View gallery

The highly anticipated Thunderbolts film is set to make its grand entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2025. Within the Marvel comics, the Thunderbolts are a unique assembly of antiheroes and reformed villains who undertake missions on behalf of the government. Marvel officially confirmed the development of a Thunderbolts* movie during the San Diego Comic-Con event in 2022, revealing that this exciting project would feature an all-star cast. This film will be an integral part of Phase Five of the MCU — and the recently released trailer has provided fans with an exhilarating glimpse into what they can expect!

Production of the Thunderbolts film encountered delays due to the significant Hollywood strikes in 2023, resulting in multiple postponements of the release date. As a consequence of these production shifts, some actors have had to exit the project. Hollywood Life is your go-to source for comprehensive updates on Thunderbolts*. Continue reading to uncover the latest information regarding new cast members, the anticipated release date, and much more!

The Exciting Release Date for ‘Thunderbolts’ Film

Mark your calendars, as Thunderbolts* is set to premiere in theaters on May 2, 2025. Marvel made the strategic decision to push back the film’s release date by a year due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts stemming from the SAG-AFTRA and writers’ strikes that impacted the entire industry.

Originally, this much-anticipated movie was slated to grace the big screen on July 26, 2024. This initial release date was first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con back in July 2022. Filming was initially set to commence in June 2023, but the crew received instructions to postpone production until after the strikes concluded, as reported by Deadline.

The Thunderbolts film will serve as the penultimate release in Phase Five of the MCU, preceding the much-anticipated film Blade, which stars Mahershala Ali. Upcoming MCU Phase 5 films scheduled for release before Thunderbolts include Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and Captain America: New World Order. Additionally, Marvel has launched several Phase 5 television series on Disney+, such as Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and Echo. Future series like Ironheart, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, and Daredevil: Born Again are also on the horizon.

Meet the Stellar Cast & Crew Behind ‘Thunderbolts’

The much-anticipated cast of Thunderbolts* was unveiled at Disney’s D23 Expo in September 2022. The President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, took the stage to introduce the talented cast to the eager audience. Here’s the complete list of those who will be featured in this exciting film.

• Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. Sebastian made his debut in the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. Since that time, he has appeared in six additional films and the acclaimed miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. At the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Sebastian shared his enthusiasm for Thunderbolts, stating, “I’m excited. I’m going to go back basically in a month or so. I’ve missed it. It’s a great cast,” in an interview with Variety.
• Wyatt Russell will portray John Walker. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, John Walker is appointed as the successor to Captain America by the US Government.
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus will take on the role of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Valentina serves as the director of the CIA, and she begins forming the Thunderbolts during the post-credits scene of Black Widow. She also appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
• Florence Pugh will return as Yelena Belova. Yelena is the adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, and she’s recruited by Valentina to target Clint Barton for his role in her sister’s demise. She pursues Clint in the Hawkeye series.
• David Harbour will reprise his role as Red Guardian. Red Guardian serves as a father figure to Natasha and Yelena. He appears in Black Widow.
• Olga Kurylenko will portray Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. Antonia is brainwashed by her father in Black Widow.
• Hannah John-Kamen will take on the role of Ava Starr/Ghost. Ava possesses powers of invisibility and intangibility, making her a formidable character in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Ayo Edebiri was initially slated to star in Thunderbolts*, but due to scheduling conflicts, she had to withdraw from the project. Blockers star Geraldine Viswanathan will now replace Ayo in Thunderbolts. Marvel has not disclosed any details regarding the roles that Ayo and Geraldine will play in the film.

Ayo’s departure follows the exit of Steven Yeun, who also had to step down from an undisclosed role in Thunderbolts*. In an interview, Steven commented, “I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it,” while discussing his exit with Variety. He expressed confidence in his replacement, stating, “But Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job.” He added, “I want to do a Marvel movie.”

Lewis Pullman will now assume Steven’s role in Thunderbolts*. Lewis has recently received critical acclaim for his performance in Lessons in Chemistry, alongside Brie Larson. He is also known for his role as Bob in Top Gun: Maverick.

Jake Schreier is set to direct Thunderbolts*, marking his first foray into the MCU. His most notable film thus far is the 2015 release, Paper Towns. The screenplay for Thunderbolts is being penned by Eric Pearson, who has previously written for Thor: Ragnarok and Black Widow.

Dive into the Thrilling Plot of ‘Thunderbolts’

Upon unveiling Thunderbolts*, Marvel also shared a concise plot description. It states, “A group of antiheroes goes on missions for the government.” This aligns closely with the overarching narrative of the Thunderbolts in the Marvel comic books. In the comics, Helmut Zemo is the mastermind behind the formation of the Thunderbolts, but it appears that Daniel Bruhl will not reprise his role as Zemo in the film, indicating that the MCU is taking a different creative direction.

During an interview on the Phase Zero podcast, David Harbour offered intriguing insights about the Thunderbolts* film. He described the characters as “losers,” which he finds enjoyable to portray. “I think it’s fun to watch us just mess everything up,” he remarked. “I think that’s the spectrum. I think it’s very funny, but there’s also a lot of pathos in that.”

David elaborated, “There’s a lot of drama in a bunch of people who just keep getting their lives wrong — because of character flaws, keep messing things up. And nobody gives them the respect that they do to characters like Captain America and Iron Man — individuals who are very capable. So, there’s a lot to explore there. I believe there’s a wealth of engaging material that will make for an entertaining film.”