MCU’s Thunderbolts Team Has A Huge Power Problem (But That Can Change)

The first look at Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts reveals a huge power problem, but this can quickly be fixed. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige finally confirmed the first lineup for the Thunderbolts team at September 2022’s D23 Expo, bringing back seven villains and antiheroes from past Marvel projects. Despite the excitement of returning fan-favorite characters and the introduction of a new super-powered team to the MCU, the official lineup wasn’t what most fans were expecting and could pose a problem going forward.

Set to be released in July 2024, Thunderbolts will feature Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian (David Harbour), Yelena Belova, a.k.a. Black Widow (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker, a.k.a. US Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Antonia Dreykov, a.k.a. Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) as the ragtag team of reformed villains. In Marvel Comics, the Thunderbolts first appeared in 1997’s The Incredible Hulk #449 as a team of super-powered people who came together after the Avengers were declared dead after 1996’s Onslaught crossover event. With the Avengers practically dissolved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the debut of the Thunderbolts will deliver the first team of heroes seen since the climactic Avengers: Endgame.

The reveal of the Thunderbolts team has been met with some criticism, however, as many of the characters share similar abilities and skill sets. Comparisons have been made between the new Thunderbolts and the original team of Avengers, which included six heroes of varying powers who each brought something unique to the team, something which might turn out to be seriously lacking in Thunderbolts. The current lineup for the new MCU team features three super-soldiers and two black widows, with Ant-Man and the Wasp’s villain Ghost apparently being the only character with a unique ability, which could pose a huge power problem for the team unless Marvel Studios show some serious changes in these characters. Yet, despite the apparent similarities, there are ways for Marvel to avoid these potential pitfalls and make the Thunderbolts a compelling concept – namely by incorporating additional members as the team develops.

Can More Team Members Be Added To MCU’s Thunderbolts Roster?

The Thunderbolts reveal at the D23 Expo came as a shock to many who were expecting some iconic MCU villains to make an appearance. While this negative response could be a consequence of relentless fan-casting and theories, it is suprising that the likes of Abomination, who has received a lot of development in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Baron Zemo, who led a Thunderbolts team in Marvel Comics, have been left out of the MCU’s roster. However, with almost two years to go until the release of Thunderbolts, the confirmed lineup can certainly be added to, adjusted, and perhaps could even feature other villains in roles separate from the central team, with one theory suggesting that Zemo will in fact be the villain of Thunderbolts. Marvel Studios have a slew of infamous villains from previous projects that could have a role in the film, which would help to avoid the problem of a lack of diversity in characters’ powers.

Another thing to remember would be that audiences haven’t seen some of these characters in several years, meaning they would have had plenty of time to develop their powers more and maybe learn new things, so it’s anyone’s guess what skills they might bring to the table. The original Avengers, particularly Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) developed new abilities and technologies throughout their careers as superheroes, so this could easily have happened off-screen for several of the Thunderbolts. More information is sure to be released about the MCU’s new team-up film in the coming months, so a clearer picture will start to form about what viewers can expect from Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thunderbolts.