Marvel Thunderbolt-or Thunderbolt*if you want to dwell on the specific punctuation of an anti-hero team-up movie. Most importantly, we knew it, since most of the cast and characters have already appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But we hadn’t seen this new gang together yet… until now.
During tonight’s big Marvel panel inside Hall H, the studio gave fans the first glimpse of the film, teasing the unlikely formation of this new superteam.
Crickets chirp in the woods, surrounded by a few small houses. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) knocks on the door to Alexei’s (David Harbour). Alexei thinks it’s DoorDash, but when he sees her, he immediately starts tidying up. When she opens the door, she says, “Hello, Dad.” He makes all sorts of excuses for the mess and wanders around busily. Yelena asks Alexei if he’s feeling good and fulfilled lately. Alexei lies and says, “Yes.”
She tells Alexei that she’s here because she thinks there’s something wrong with her. She feels like she’s drifting and without purpose. As she says this, we see footage of Bucky (Sebastian Stan) entering the courtroom and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) reading an article about him called “The Fall of a Hero.” Apparently, she’s not the only hero in the MCU who feels this way. Elena continues to talk to Alexei, telling him that she’s putting in the work to feel better. We see her in the hallway killing a bunch of guys.
The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” plays as Elena descends into a secret hideout littered with computers and papers. John Walker is already there and starts firing at her. Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) is there as well, along with several other characters. A fierce battle ensues. Lewis Pullman’s character stumbles out in a hospital gown. Elena asks who sent him, and he says, “Did they send you all?” Just then, all the doors in the room slam. It’s a trap. A red light comes on and a one-minute countdown begins.
Elena explains that all of these characters have done bad things, like robbing the government or taking on contract murders. “So?” Walker says. “Someone’s trying to get rid of us,” she says.
A montage begins. We see Allegra (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) walking into a party filled with Marvel memorabilia, like Loki’s scepter (at least that’s what it seems). Pullman’s character comes out of the room, where a group of soldiers stand with guns drawn. Elena jumps off a building. The words “Be careful who you invite” appear on screen.
The group all meets in the elevator and enters Allegra’s office. “There are good people, and you’re the bad people,” Allegra says. There are a few more action shots, and the scene ends with Allegra saying, “But there are even worse people.”
After the title, Thunderbolt* (Emphasis on asterisk.) A red limousine is shown driving through the desert. The group is inside, with Alexei driving. “This team has the makings of glory,” he says. “We can be heroes on a Wheaties box.” (Elena interjects, “I think we should just ignore him.”) “With little kids’ toys,” he adds.
Roll call! Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Hannah John-Kamen as Eva Starr/Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as the Sentry, and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. And that’s not all in this MCU assortment!
Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank, Paper Towns) The film, which promises to be a fun, action-packed flick, is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2025.
Additional reporting by Germain Lussier.
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