Thunderbolts* is coming to theaters in 2025 as part of the upcoming Marvel movie schedule – and we have had months to hotly anticipate what's next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Obviously, we have the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, or even the Fantastic Four – the latter of which is set to get a new film adaptation in 2025 as well.
Now, Marvel is spicing things up a bit and introducing the first ever antihero team into the MCU with its latest entry: the Thunderbolts*. It's hard to believe it's almost here, as with Guinness World Records and more broken on this movie set there has been a lot to anticipate, especially from one Ms. Florence Pugh.
What Is The Thunderbolts Release Date?
Thunderbolts* has a release of May 2, 2025, and will therefore be released as part of the 2025 movie release schedule, though it's worth noting star Florence Pugh confirmed the official movie premiere was coming much earlier, in late April, so we should have a few weeks of exciting news related to the movie coming.
It's also worth noting that originally Thunderbolts* was set to come out in 2024 as part of Phase 5 of the MCU, but Disney (who owns Marvel) announced in June 2023 that several of their titles have been pushed back, including this movie.
Check Out The First Thunderbolts* Trailer
Guys, it’s happening, because we finally got a trailer! Released in October 2024, we get our first look at the antiheroes that we’ll follow in Thunderbolts*, along with some hilarious one-liners. Who knew that all I needed to make 2024 great was to hear a dishwasher joke about Bucky’s metal arm?
More recently we've heard about the making of the trailers, and cast member David Harbour roasted the motorcycle-related moment you can see above. Now I can't unsee the stunt driver wig he went on and on about.
The Thunderbolts* Cast
If you were wondering exactly who is going to star in Thunderbolts*, look no further than right here. This is who you can see in the lineup of antiheroes for Thunderbolts*.
Florence Pugh Yelena Belova
Florence Pugh originally played Yelena in Black Widow, and also had a recurring guest role in Hawkeye. Suffice to say, she's rapidly becoming a new fan-favorite in the MCU.
Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier
Sebastian Stan last had a major role as the Winter Soldier – a.k.a. Bucky Barnes – in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2021. However, he did appear in Captain America: Brave New World in a brief scene where he reunited with Anthony Mackie's new Cap. He's apparently working in the government now, and that's where things will pick up in Thunderbolts*.
David Harbour as the Red Guardian
David Harbour played the Red Guardian in Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh. He serves as the comedic relief in that movie and should fulfill a similar role in the 2025 film. Honestly, the Black Widow comedic bits were the best part of that movie, and I hope the tone remains the same in the new anti-hero team-up flick.
Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster
Olga Kurylenko also appeared for the first time in Black Widow, alongside Pugh and Harbour, as the main villain, Taskmaster. There have been some big theories about what could happen to Taskmaster in the new movie, so clickthrough at your own risk.
Wyatt Russell as US Agent
Wyatt Russell made waves as US Agent in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, as it was his debut in the role. Things obviously did not go swimmingly for the character, but he should have the chance to redeem himself here.
Hanna John Kamen as Ghost
Ghost first appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and this will be her first time coming back to the MCU since her 2014 appearance.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra
Also included in the line-up is the wonderful Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who we saw in both The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. Allegedly Ms. Louis-Dreyfus got a little bit into her own stunts too!
Harrison Ford as General Ross
It was announced that Harrison Ford has signed on for both Captain America 4 and Thunderbolts* to play General Ross, as the actor from before, William Hurt, sadly passed away. Ford appear as Ross (And Spoiler: Red Hulk) in Captain America: Brave New World.
Geraldine Viswanathan
Originally, Ayo Edebiri was set to have a role in Thunderbolts*, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, according to Deadline, but she has since been replaced by Geraldine Viswanathan. The actress is primarily known for her role on Miracle Workers or Amazon's recent rom-com You're Cordially Invited.
Lewis Pullman
In a similar situation, Lewis Pullman has also stepped up to replace Steven Yeun, who also dropped out of Thunderbolts* due to scheduling conflicts. He’s appeared in Top Gun: Maverick, Outer Range and more.
Talk about a stacked cast – and one I can’t wait to see kill (pun intended) it.
What Thunderbolts* Will Be About
If you’re like me and you’re wondering what the heck Thunderbolts* could be about, then this section is for you. Here are the few details we’ve scored:
Thunderbolts* Will Follow An Antihero Team As They Take On Assignments
While there is a trailer for Thunderbolts*, not much is still known about the full plot of the film, though in more recent months we've gotten a taste of the types of stunts and attitudes the team will have. At CinemaCon 2025, our own Jeff McCobb also saw some of the Marvel footage and described Julia Louis-Dreyfus getting a little snarky with the motley crew, whom she needs for some sort of secret assignment.
Is it all a little vague? Yeah, but what can you really expect from the studio that somehow tried to keep the reveal that all three versions of Spider-Man would reunite in the fan-favorite, Spider-Man: No Way Home? They really try to keep their plots on the down-low. If you're really paying attention though, there are details to be found.
The Film Will Not Be As “Straightforward” As Other Marvel Movies
Wyatt Russell (US Agent) has talked about the upcoming movie, and in an interview with THR, he said that the film is different and not as “straightforward” as other Marvel movies, which may be music to the ears of any fans who have not been as enthusiastic about recent franchise films.
The story that I think they’ve come up with is really interesting — I know parts of the story and how the story works, I can’t talk about it. But it’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as you’ve seen in the past. I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun but I think it will be something that hopefully Marvel fans will look at and go, ‘Oh OK, this is a little different, let’s go hard at it.’ And as far as how we are approaching it, it’s time to go to work a little bit, it’s time to make a good Marvel movie, so let’s do that and work hard at it and don’t take things for granted.
It is interesting to hear, especially since David Harbour told CinemaBlend that he’s already seen some of the film and is hyping it up, saying that it’s “impressive:”
Marvel is excited by its expansion, to a certain degree. And also, I think they're doing a bit of a course correction around getting too big, in a way, with the Disney+ stuff. I'm very excited for you guys to see Thunderbolts*. Because, I'm impressed with the direction they took that. And it's surprising. It's a real movie. I mean, whether you like it or not, who knows? But… I saw a cut of it, and it's very impressive.
I mean, I’m just excited to see any kind of update on this story so this makes me even more eager for May 2025.
Bucky Will Have An “Emotional Journey”
Bucky has to be one of those characters that has truly been around since the beginning of the MCU, and has been through probably some of the most trauma out of everyone. And it seems like Thunderbolts* is going to expand on his story a bit more. In an interview with Empire Magazine (via ScreenRant) in November 2024, the director commented that while there are plenty of jokes in the film, you stay for Bucky’s “emotional journey” throughout it:
Come for the dishwasher jokes, stay for the deep emotional journey.
As a die-hard Bucky stan, I’m here for it.
The Movie Is Directed By Jake Schreier
Jake Schreier is the director of Thunderbolts*.
While Schreier has never worked on any Marvel projects before, he’s done plenty of work in the industry, and has directed films such as Paper Towns and Robot & Frank, with plenty of work in television, too – such as Beef, the critically acclaimed television show on Netflix, and other shows as well like Minx, The Premise, Kidding and more.
Thunderbolts* is finally coming, and I daresay it's worth the wait. Between the marketing for this movie and the upcoming Fantastic 4: First Steps, I'm interested to see if this movie will be a turning point for Marvel (or not).
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