Marvel’s Elite Anti-Heroes Assemble in “Thunderbolts”

“Thunderbolts,” the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), will premiere internationally on May 2, 2025.

As one of the most anticipated releases of 2025, the upcoming film places the faith of the world in the hands of its most dangerous criminals. With the Avengers essentially disbanded, this group of misfits must work together to save the planet from the eerie powers of a formidable villain.

“Thunderbolts” reunites fan favorites from across the MCU while introducing new characters as well. Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, a black ops specialist and the adoptive sister of Black Widow. Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier. David Harbour appears once again as Red Guardian, Yelena’s adoptive father, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

New faces on this mission include Wyatt Russel as John Walker, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost.

Lewis Pullman joins the cast as Sentry, a powerful villain with the ability to turn people into shadows.

Directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Kevin Feige, “Thunderbolts*” marks the final film of Phase Five in the MCU. The screenplay is written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.

The film’s press tour has been massive. Notably, Pugh revealed to Fandango that she was being a “sassy Karen” by constantly emailing Feige to let her perform a daring stunt from Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118-the second tallest building in the world. Her persistence paid off, as she did perform the stunt, which is featured in an exclusive clip released by Marvel. “It would do wonders for the press tour,” she claimed.

“Thunderbolts” is poised to be a gritty, heart-thumping, cinematic experience. Fans of the MCU can expect a much darker tone than the earlier “Avengers” films, with previews alluding to connections to the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” (2026) and “Avengers: Secret Wars” (2027).

Watch the trailer here.