While Marvel Studios has various teams like the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the game, the franchise has yet to delve into the idea of a group that includes a roster of darker and more villainous characters. This could one day come into play with the Thunderbolts, Marvel’s classic group of comic book antagonists, and rumors have suggested they could be in line for a starring role in Phase 4 or later.
The Thunderbolts are akin to, simply put, DC’s Suicide Squad – a team of reformed villains brought together to do something for the greater good. Warner Bros. has already released two Suicide Squad films directed by David Ayer and James Gunn, and fans have been wondering when that concept would cross over to Marvel’s side of the industry.
Well, as it turns out, the day of the Thunderbolts’ arrival might come sooner rather than later.
Marvel’s Own Villain Team Up Movie
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Deadline’s Justin Kroll reported that Marvel Studios has hired Jake Schreier to direct an upcoming Thunderbolts movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Widow co-writer Eric Pearson will write the villain-centric script.
Schreier’s biggest work to date has been directing the film adaptation of Paper Towns, starring Suicide Squad’s Cara Delevigne, although that would be the first true blockbuster film of his career to date.
Pearson is credited with working on nearly a dozen MCU projects, including writing four Marvel Studios one-shots and 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. He was also the executive story editor for the TV series Agent Carter, which ran from 2015- Aired on ABC in 2016.
Kroll betrayed further Twitter that although there is no official talent, Marvel sees this film as their own version of DC’s Suicide Squad. Characters like Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell’s US Agent, and Daniel Brühl’s Zemo could be in line for roles in the storyline:
“Technically the film is still in development so no talents have signed yet but Marvel sees this as their version of SUICIDE SQUAD and some characters you can probably expect to see on the team include Yelena, Taskmaster, US Agent and Zemo.”
While the search for a new Fantastic Four director has grabbed headlines lately, despite the early stages of discussions about the job, Marvel has flown under the radar with its work on Thunderbolts. According to reports, Schreier has been going on in the studio for the past few weeks “blown away” executives, which eventually got him the job.
The new film is reportedly set to begin filming in summer 2023, and sources say Marvel is already in contact with some current MCU stars to ensure they are available for filming in this window.
Thunderbolts become a reality in the MCU
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Looking at some of Marvel Studios recent plot options in various films, it seems inevitable that the Thunderbolts would eventually find their way into the story.
It apparently started when Julia Louis-Dreyfus first played Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, teasing something dark in the works with Wyatt Russell’s future US agent. She returned in the post-credits scene of Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, which eventually led to the reveal of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in Hawkeye.
There’s no doubt that Marvel has been sowing seeds for the Thunderbolts for most of the past few years. The big question now is who exactly will be on the villain team and when will it come together.
The hardest part will be figuring out how to step into the footsteps of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by the late William Hurt, unless Marvel tries to recast the role (an unlikely decision). Val could certainly be in line to take a leadership position on such a team in an “Amanda Waller from the Suicide Squad” sort of thing, which then leaves the mystery of who will be on the roster.
No matter how this group comes together, Marvel is making some bold moves by bringing this team together in what may be one of the darkest films the MCU has ever seen. And while Schreier has never directed a similar story, he should be well-equipped to bring new momentum to Marvel Studios’ expanding narrative.