Thunderbolts: All Key Marvel Characters Recapped On Disney+ ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Marvel’s Thunderbolts is currently out on Disney+. With the film now available for streaming, it’s worth pointing out the larger context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe within which this film takes place.
Thunderbolts closed off Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and was praised by critics as a return to form with an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film underperformed at the box office with a $382 million gross, per Box Office Mojo.
Thunderbolts builds on the aftermath of several prior MCU films and series to set up its storyline and characters. Read on to understand how all the significant characters in Thunderbolts arrived at where they were at the film’s start.
Thunderbolts features an ensemble cast in leading roles, with the group being a ragtag team of anti-heroes hired by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia-Louis Dreyfus), who was gradually introduced over the course of multiple MCU projects as a spymaster and ruthless manipulator.
Here’s a recap of all Thunderbolts recruits, and what they’ve been up to in the MCU so far.
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the adoptive sister of Natasha Romanoff, was trained in the Red Room as a Black Widow assassin. She debuted in Black Widow (2021), where she reunited with Natasha to take down Dreykov’s empire. After Natasha’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, Yelena was manipulated by Valentina into targeting Clint Barton in Hawkeye (2021). Their confrontation ended with Clint revealing the truth about Natasha’s death, allowing Yelena to grieve and move forward.
Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Steve Rogers’ childhood best friend, became the Winter Soldier after being brainwashed by Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Steve helped him break free, and though Bucky went into hiding after Civil War, he later rejoined the fight against Thanos in Infinity War and Endgame. After Steve’s retirement, Bucky teamed up with Sam Wilson in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).
Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour) made his MCU debut in Black Widow (2021). Once a Soviet agent, he posed as the father of Natasha and Yelena before sending them into the Red Room program. Later, he sided with his daughters against Dreykov, helping bring down the Red Room once and for all.
Ava Starr / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) first appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Suffering from molecular instability due to a lab accident, she initially worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for a cure but went rogue upon learning of their deception. After a failed attempt to harness Janet van Dyne’s quantum energy, Janet helped stabilize her condition. Ava eventually left on better terms with Ant-Man and the Wasp and later resurfaced as one of Valentina’s operatives.
John Walker / U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) was introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) as the government’s replacement for Captain America. Though initially portrayed as a patriotic soldier, his decision to use the super-soldier serum and his violent killing of a Flag Smasher led to his downfall. Stripped of his title and honorably discharged, he was later recruited by Valentina as a covert operative.
Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster (Olga Kurlyenko) was revealed in Black Widow (2021) as the daughter of Dreykov, the Red Room’s leader. Thought to be dead in an explosion caused by Natasha, she was instead brainwashed into serving as Taskmaster. Natasha ultimately freed her from her father’s control after destroying the Red Room.
Thunderbolts Has Some New Characters
In addition to the many returning MCU stalwarts, Thunderbolts features two new cast members who play important roles on the team.
Rob “Bob” Reynolds/The Sentry (Lewis Pullman) is an amnesiac man in Valentina’s custody who’s rumored to have powers that could make him a threat to all Avengers as a whole.
Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), Valentine’s assistant, works with the CIA director to keep the Thunderbolts in line.
