A Marvel Studios executive confirmed that Thunderbolts will act as a sequel to 2021's Scarlett Johansson-led Black Widow.
Following Natasha Romanoff's seemingly permanent death in Avengers: Endgame, Johansson's lethal assassin returns in Phase Four's Black Widow-centric solo film. However, a sequel to the 2021's film has been absent from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's slates for Phase Five and Six. In a recent Instagram post to promote the new Art of Black Widow, Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park revealed that Thunderbolts will act as a sequel to Black Widow. The film is slated for July 26, 2024, release as part of Phase Five.
Who's in Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts?
Although the plot for the upcoming film is still unknown, fans can expect the return of many fan-favorite characters. The team, assembled by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), will consist of six members: Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Harrison Ford will play General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, reprising his role after debuting in Captain America: New World Order.
In between Thunderbolts and Black Widow, Yelena has joined Kate Bishop in Phase Four's Hawkeye Disney+ series. While Bishop becomes the new holder of the Hawkeye name, Yelena also seemingly picks up the Black Widow mantle. The production of Thunderbolts is expected to begin in June.
Recently, Thunderbolts added The Bear breakout star Ayo Edebiri to the already star-dubbed cast for an undisclosed role. Jake Schreier will helm the film with a script by Eric Pearson. A rumor claims that Marvel Studios plans to use an "evil Superman" as the main antagonist for the upcoming movie. Some fans have speculated that the rumor is either referring to Sentry, Richtman or Hyperion. However, Marvel Studios has not publicly commented on any of these characters' supposed involvement.
Louis-Dreyfus, who plays CIA director Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the MCU, revealed that the film's production will begin in June. She also commented that she'd like to see her character get physical in the upcoming movie. "I actually pitched it," Louis-Dreyfus said. "I told them I really, really want to fight. We'll see if that happens."
Thunderbolts is scheduled to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
Source: Instagram, via The Direct