The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs last night during the Super Bowl, but before they scored too many touchdowns, Marvel scored big with their brand new trailer for Thunderbolts*.
It feels kind of weird that this is the third trailer we’ve gotten and the film’s still three months away. But it goes to show how much Marvel needs this to be a hit and how much confidence they have in it. For good reason too, the trailer was awesome.
Thunderbolts* brings the connectivity and team dynamic that Marvel’s been missing lately. We still don’t know when we’ll see Shang-Chi again and we’re just now getting another Captain America appearance after 4 years. It’s refreshing to see different corners of the universe come together. And these corners are so different that I can’t wait to see how the team will interact.
It reminds me of the good ol’ days of the MCU.
The Avengers Are Not Coming
One of the most intriguing aspects about this movie to me is why this team is coming together. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina defends the need for a superhero team in a Congressional hearing, stating bluntly: “the Avengers are not coming.”
But we know she has ulterior motives. The question is what are they? And why the name Thunderbolts? Could it have something to do with Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World or is that just a coincidence? Don’t even get me started on the Asterix in the title. There are a lot of questions surrounding this movie and I’m glad the trailers are doing nothing to answer them.
For example, we still have no idea why the Thunderbolts come together. We can assume it has something to do with Bob, AKA The Sentry (more on that in a bit), but they’ve hardly even shown him either. It’s shocking how little we know after three trailers.
Other studios should take note.
Besides that, the team looks fun. As somebody who wasn’t very excited when they announced Thunderbolts* way back when, I can’t wait to see these characters interact. It looks fun, goofy, and wholesome all at the same time. And I love how they acknowledge them all having practically the same powersets.
Where are the Thunderbolts Going in the Final Battle?
The Sentry is an absolutely insane character to add to Thunderbolts*, but it could backfire. His character has an interesting, if not somewhat goofy backstory.
Sentry’s a superman-like hero who has an evil alternate personality called The Void that balances out every good deed of Sentry’s with an evil one. The character has technically been in the Marvel Universe since the beginning but everyone’s memories have been altered to forget him.
Oh, and he has a secret watchtower that nobody else can see located on top of Avengers tower.
It might be hard to tow the line of serious and goofy, but the film seems to be doing it very well. The Void looks terrifying while disintegrating civilians and casting a darkness across New York.
Speaking of that spreading darkness, does it lead anywhere? Maybe it leads to a different dimension which would make for a wild third act. It would also mean the Thunderbolts are severely underprepared with their powers. Guns and fists probably aren’t the best weapons against a being like that.
Their battle with The Void makes it feel even more likely that the Thunderbolts are changing their team name to Dark Avengers by the end of the film. That’s probably what the Asterix in the title means. It’s crazy how much free marketing that Asterix is going to give the film with all of these fan theories. It’s genius.
Regardless, this the movie looks great and reception has been positive. After the Fantastic Four trailer and this, Marvel seems to be back on their feet and could mark 2025 as their return to form. Only time will tell.
See Thunderbolts* only in theaters May 2, 2025.
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