The roster for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thunderbolts has been revealed, and many fans are disappointed. A sort of retread of previous MCU films, the team doesn't resemble any version from the comic books. Nevertheless, fans are already suspecting that this may be something of a ruse, with a previous Thunderbolts team possibly existing beforehand.
Said team would be something far closer to the comics, incorporating both of the team's concepts into the MCU. This could not only ensure Baron Zemo's return but also see the recently revealed Thunderbolts face off against an evil team following his lead. Here's how the current Thunderbolts may simply be the tip of the iceberg.
The MCU Thunderbolts May Have Unseen Predecessors
A Reddit idea put forth by DevilishCool interprets one of the comments made by Marvel boss Kevin Feige as a hidden message. Feige has stated that Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra Fontaine is "responsible for everything that happens" in Thunderbolts. DevilishCool takes this further by stating that Fontaine could have previously put together a team of Thunderbolts under Zemo's command. They came under the sway of his worldview, but they're not so easy to take out. This is due to them now supposedly masquerading as heroes, with only John Walker disagreeing and leaving. Thus, the current Thunderbolts team is formed to take down their villainous predecessors.
Such an idea would adapt both the "villains masquerading as heroes" version of the Thunderbolts from the comics and the covert ops incarnation. It would also bring in Zemo, a character who's central to the Thunderbolts in the comics. Many are disappointed that he's seemingly not on the movie team, though he is rumored to appear. If this Reddit theory is anything like the truth, there's a good reason for him to show up. Unfortunately, such an idea might be a bit too convoluted.
Two Thunderbolts Teams at Once Might Be Overkill
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Retroactively introducing an older version of a brand-new team in the Thunderbolts movie could definitely be asking too much, especially from casual audiences. Of course, such a twist would utilize the source material while setting the team apart from the Suicide Squad of the DC Extended Universe. Still, its attempts at being clever might instead fall flat. Audiences haven't seen the heroes that the supposed first Thunderbolts are now posing as. If it involves characters like Moonstone and Bullseye emulating Captain Marvel and Hawkeye, that simply wouldn't work in the MCU the way it did in the comics. Those heroes were officially "rolled out" by Norman Osborn as the Dark Avengers, and there's been no such introduction for these or similar figures in the MCU yet.
Unless Thunderbolts is going to be extra long, it won't have the time to make this sort of twist work and not feel forced or rushed. That's not to mention the time needed to make the "current" Thunderbolts come together and gel as a team, let alone give their predecessors enough screen time to be more than something to punch. This screen time need is cut down somewhat by the Thunderbolts being previously established characters, but this Reddit twist might completely upend that advantage and make for an overstuffed movie.
Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is slated to release on July 24, 2024.