The accusation of superhero movies being formulaic is perhaps one of the most relentless dead horse beatings in the world of entertainment today; despite what truth it may hold, it barely sounds like English anymore.
And unfortunately, the last time the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to shake things up a bit, we got the Secret Invasion finale (which, admittedly, didn’t end up being much different at all from Marvel’s usual poor grasp on third act execution). So, any mention of Marvel trying to break the mold from here on out may or may not be met with a kneejerk reluctance, as we all try to move past that dire attempt at a political thriller.
And yet, the insistence from Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier that his movie is going to flip the script is oddly encouraging, if for no other reason than his relentless, if frustratingly vague, repetition of such a sentiment.
It’s a button he’s going to continue to mash, in any case; in a recent interview with CBR, Schreier once again touched upon all the Thunderbolts details he was at liberty of disclosing, noting the tonal shifts brought on by this particular group of characters, and its apparent ability to stand on its own where so many of its brothers and sisters are chiefly bolstered by what came before, and what will come after.
“I guess what I would say is, I think there is a very different angle that the story is taking [to the genre]. It’s a very different set of characters. There’s a really strong idea of what binds them together. There’s a real desire to make something that stands on its own. It doesn’t feel like a sequel or another iteration of something we’ve seen.”
Of course, it’s worth noting that Thunderbolts is also the Multiverse Saga’s first Avengers-level team-up movie, with the titular team consisting of some of the greyest figures to ever grace Kevin Feige’s mythos, so Schreier will have to have really nailed the feeling of not being a sequel when the movie is, effectively, a sequel.
As for whether or not he he’ll succeed, we’ll just have to wait until Thunderbolts releases to theaters on Dec. 20, 2024 to find out.