Thunderbolts is confirmed to be crashing into the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, set to round out Phase Five during the summer of 2024. Even now, the film is already looking like an MCU standout, given its unique focus on the plight of a pack of reformed villains, effectively serving as a black ops equivalent to the Avengers.
We already know that Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova will be returning for the film, but who else could fit into this group of alternative remarkable people? Armed to the teeth with comic knowledge, easter eggs turned theories, and a whole lot of hope, some fans over at r/marvelstudios have spelled out their wishlists for the Thunderbolts lineup.
One user, decreeing Helmut Zemo as an uncontested shoe-in and a cheeky parallel to Nick Fury, suggested that the Thunderbolts should mirror the ethos of the original Avengers team members, with the likes of U.S. Agent paying homage to Captain America, while Abomination could take up the adjacency of the Hulk, for example.
Another user stuck their neck out for Bucky Barnes, a fan favorite of the MCU whose screentime hasn’t been the greatest since the end of the Infinity Saga. Given the character’s penchant for an antihero’s gravitas as well as the rousing cheers that his return would elicit, he could very well slot right in.
One user pitched the possibility of Ghost Rider and Titania showing up as part of the titular team. They gave a special nod to Titania, whose humorous edge could pair quite nicely with the already-confirmed Yelena, who, as far as we’ve seen, is no stranger to trolling associate and adversary alike.
Thunderbolts is set to release to theaters on July 26, 2024