10 Reasons Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Team Is So Much More Than Marvel’s Suicide Squad

10 Reasons Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Team Is So Much More Than Marvel’s Suicide Squad

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With Thunderbolts* upcoming for the MCU, comparisons to the Suicide Squad might be apt, but Marvel’s new team is so much more than a Task Force X clone. Thunderbolts* will be released May 2, 2025, bringing together a number of characters from various MCU projects over the years. Directed by Jake Schreier (Paper Towns), Thunderbolts* features a group of supervillains and antiheroes recruited by the government for various missions.

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Thunderbolts* features a strong cast of characters and fun premise, making it a must-see for MCU fans. The premise might seem similar to DC’s various Task Force X projects like The Suicide Squad, and while there are definitely similarities, there are many things that aren’t, helping Thunderbolts* find its own place in the comic book landscape. Here are ten reasons why Thunderbolts* is so much more than Marvel’s Suicide Squad.

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10

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Promises To Be A Spy Thriller

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Thunderbolts* looks to follow in the footsteps of other spy-thriller films in the MCU, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Widow, focusing on espionage and uncovering revelations as it goes on. The team is deliberately chosen for the missions they are tasked with going on, which could help the team’s handlers keep any secrets that they don’t want revealed under wraps.

Anthony Mackie As Sam Wilson In Full Blue Captain America Costume With The Fantastic Four Official Casting Art

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Like a lot of other MCU projects, the Suicide Squad films lean more into the action comedy and spectacle of the genre, where Thunderbolts* looks to be a bit grittier and more grounded. Having a more serious, grounded tone can help differentiate the team from its DC counterpart, as well as other parts of the MCU.

9

The Thunderbolts* Are Being Created As An Avengers Replacement

Valentina greeting the Thunderbolts in Avengers Tower in Thunderbolts* trailer

The Thunderbolts* trailer revealed a number of details about the upcoming movie that really stood out. Something to note in particular is the fact that the team is being created as some sort of Avengers replacement. The biggest clue is the Thunderbolts team meeting Valentina at what used to be Avengers Tower, which indicates that she (or the CIA) bought the tower after years of theorizing who did.

At one point, it was heavily theorized that Norman Osborn bought Avengers Tower.

A point of contention in the MCU is how the Avengers should operate. Captain America: Civil War was about just that, as the US Government wanted jurisdiction over the team. With the Thunderbolts*, that could actually happen; a superpowered team operating under the oversight of the government.

8

The Thunderbolts* Showed Up In Other Projects First

John Walker with the bloody shield in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

In terms of live-action comic book projects, both Suicide Squad and The Suicide Squad featured members that never actually appeared earlier in the DCEU. They were villains for established characters, but audiences never got to see them interact with their heroes before being thrown together as members of Task Force X.

Thunderbolts* is different in this regard, as every member (save for one) has been introduced in various films and TV shows leading up to them coming together in the MCU. Not only does it show how connected the universe actually is, but that familiarity with the characters can help audiences connect with the characters they have grown to care for, particularly characters like Bucky or Yelena.

7

Not Every Thunderbolts* Member Is A Villain

Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes confronting the Thunderbolts in a desert in the Thunderbolts (2025) trailer

Save for Rick Flag, every member of the Suicide Squad is typically a villain of a major DC hero. Thunderbolts* does include villains from other shows and movies, but for the most part, they have moved past being that. Sure, they could possibly regress as the film goes on, but most of them could essentially be considered anti-heroes now.

The Thunderbolts might be a little rough around the edges, with questionable actions in the past, but they are so much more than that now.

For instance, Bucky’s entire journey prior to Thunderbolts* has been moving past being a villain, and learning to live with what he has done. Yelena never felt like a villain, despite being a minor antagonist in Hawkeye, and Bob isn’t a villain at all. The Thunderbolts might be a little rough around the edges, with questionable actions in the past, but they are so much more than that now.

6

Thunderbolts* Introduces One Of Marvel’s Most Powerful Heroes

bob sad with his ripped clothes

Thunderbolts* is set to introduce audience members to a new character named Bob. This character is particularly important as he is better known as Sentry, one of Marvel Comics strongest heroes. Sentry is often considered Marvel’s Superman, so his inclusion in Thunderbolts* has lasting ramifications for the entire MCU.

Introducing a character that eventually goes on to be such a powerful hero definitely sets apart Thunderbolts* from the Suicide Squad allegations. It will be interesting to see how Sentry fits in with the rest of the team, since he is far and away the most powerful member of the team.

5

Thunderbolts* Builds Up From The MCU’s Past

Alexei Shostakov, Ava Starr, Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova and John Walker in an elevator in Thunderbolts*

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It has already been stated that Thunderbolts* features characters that have been featured in various MCU projects over the years, but it builds from the MCU’s past in ways that go beyond the introductions. This is particularly prevalent in how the public, and government, began to view the Avengers as the movies progressed.

Bucky Barnes with mid-length hair in Thunderbolts* with Steve Rogers' Captain America in Avengers Age of Ultron

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With a team like the Thunderbolts, their mission can be kept under wraps, something the Avengers were never really afforded. It also continues the storylines about government oversight of superpowered teams, and although the Avengers were in a position to argue the pros and cons, the Thunderbolts might not have as much say in the matter.

4

The Thunderbolts* (Probably) Won’t Lose Their Heads

Valentina laughing at a benefit in Thunderbolts* trailer

A defining aspect of Suicide Squad as a group is how Amanda Waller forcibly coerces them into carrying out missions with the threat of death if they don’t. In fact, each member of Task Force X is implanted with a bomb in their neck, and should anything go south, Waller doesn’t hesitate to set them off. This most likely won’t be the case in Thunderbolts*.

Without the threat of imminent death, the team’s motivations are fundamentally changed.

Though those that are overseeing the Thunderbolts are incredibly powerful, it’s unclear how they will get the team to cooperate and actually do the assignments they are asked to do. Without the threat of imminent death, the team’s motivations are fundamentally changed, and it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out.

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The MCU Is Closely Tied To The Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts team in Avengers Tower in Thunderbolts* trailer

It’s been established that Thunderbolts* is already closely tied to the projects that came before in the MCU, as well as past storylines, but that is one of the fundamental things that separates the film from the DCEU’s two Suicide Squad films. These were connected to the rest of the universe by the thinnest of threads, without really impacting anything going forward.

Certain events that happened in The Suicide Squad could have some effect on the new DCU despite it being a new continuity, but nothing is certain yet.

With Thunderbolts*, not only is the past important, but so is the future of the MCU, as the film promises to have lasting ramifications for the universe as a whole. It’s hard to introduce one of the universe’s most powerful characters and not have it make an overall impact on the story going forward. Coupled with the fact that some of these members could (and have) played an important part in shaping the MCU and Thunderbolts* place in the universe is incredibly important.

2

An Avenger Is Part Of Thunderbolts*

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Bucky Barnes has had one of the most important journeys in the entire MCU. He started out as Steve Rogers’ best friend before “dying.” He was brainwashed to become the super soldier assassin known as the Winter Soldier, and eventually was able to overcome that and take his place alongside the other Avengers in the battle against Thanos.

Bucky looks to play a significant part in Thunderbolts* and having a character that fought alongside the rest of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, is a big deal. It goes to show that characters are more than their pasts and their actions moving forward can impact people and events around them. Seeing Bucky again will be a treat for those who love the MCU.

1

Thunderbolts* Deals With The Legacy Of Other Characters

Yelena Belova smirking in Thunderbolts*

A number of characters on the Thunderbolts* roster have been closely tied to previous characters in the MCU, having to deal with the legacy they left behind. This is particularly important for John Walker (U.S. Agent), Bucky, and Yelena Belova, as each of their own journeys continue through the film and beyond.

Both Bucky and John Walker are intrinsically tied to Captain America. Bucky was his best friend and one of Steve’s main motivations for his actions in the MCU, and John Walker was tasked with becoming the new Captain America and failed miserably because he didn’t understand what it meant to take Steve Rogers’ place. Yelena is the sister of Black Widow, who looks to carry on her legacy following her passing, which Thunderbolts* should continue to do.

Thunderbolts (2025) Official Poster

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Thunderbolts*

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Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is a superhero movie based on the comic team of the same name. The movie acts as a part of the MCU’s fifth phase of films. The film sees the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell, the Red Guardian, and more as an unlikely group of heroes and villains brought together to fight for good.

Director

Jake Schreier

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Release Date

May 2, 2025

Studio(s)

Marvel Studios

Distributor(s)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Writers

Lee Sung-jin
, Eric Pearson
, Joanna Calo

Cast

Florence Pugh
, Sebastian Stan
, David Harbour
, Wyatt Russell
, Olga Kurylenko
, Hannah John-Kamen
, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
, Geraldine Viswanathan
, Lewis Pullman
, Joshua Mikel

Character(s)

Yelena Belova
, James Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
, Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian
, John Walker / U.S. Agent
, Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster
, Ava Starr / Ghost
, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
, Mel
, Bob / Robert Reynolds / The Sentry
, Bob’s Dad

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Budget

$200 million

Main Genre

Action

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Upcoming MCU Movies

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Category: Entertainment

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