Thunderbolts has just been released in theaters. To mark the occasion, we decided to revisit these six things you didn't know about the famous Marvel team. Here are 6 little-known facts about the Thunderbolts to accompany the release of Jake Schreier's film.
6) Their origins
The Thunderbolts made their first appearance in 1997 under the direction of Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley in The Incredible Hulk #449. The Thunderbolts were born following the disappearance of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four at the end of the crossover Onslaught. To fill this void, a new team is created: the Thunderbolts. Finally, at the end of the first episode, readers discover that these so-called superheroes are actually supervillains, nicknamed the Masters of Evil, disguised as heroes and led by Baron Zemo. Among these disguised supervillains, Zemo had under his command notably the Scarab and Opal.
5) Varied members
Over time, many characters have joined the Thunderbolts team. Both superheroes and supervillains. Among the most famous, we can notably cite Hawkeye (who even led the team), Atlas, Radioactive Man, Swordsman (who we recently met in Daredevil: Born Again), Crossbones, the Scourge, Shocker Rhino, and Whiplash. As in Jake Schreier's film, Yelena, U.S. Agent, Taskmaster, and Ghost were indeed part of the Thunderbolts (though not necessarily at the same time). But the most stylish Thunderbolts team was the one led by Thunderbolt Ross, consisting of Elektra, Deadpool, Venom, Ghost Rider, the Punisher, and himself in his Red Hulk form.
4) The film concludes Phase 6
It's a bit confusing with the different phases of the MCU. Yet, Marvel Studios continues to develop its connected universe through phases, a sort of chapter that is difficult to identify. Well, Thunderbolts the 36th film in the MCU, is also the last of Phase 6.
3) Florence Pugh actually performed this stunt
This is the opening scene of Thunderbolts Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena, the new Black Widow in the MCU, actually jumped from the Merdeka 118 skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A superb, impressive swan dive that serves as the gateway to the new MCU film. What's surprising is that Florence Pugh insisted on performing this physical feat herself. So it's the 29-year-old actress who launches into the void, without a green screen, at a height of more than 670 meters. That's the tallest tower in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai. While promoting Thunderbolts, Florence Pugh revealed that she insisted to Kevin Feige that she be given the freedom to perform this stunt herself. Florence Pugh, the new Tom Cruise?
Florence Pugh jumping off the world's second-tallest building in ‘THUNDERBOLTS*’
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 11, 2025
In theaters on May 2. pic.twitter.com/SZLDK2W6K5
2) Who is Sentry in Thunderbolts?
Sentry is a particularly complex character. Played by Lewis Pullman in Thunderbolts, this ambiguous hero first appeared in 2000 under the pen of Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. Robert Reynolds is a psychologically unstable human being. Bipolar, anxious, schizophrenic, he suffers from a series of mental illnesses. When he receives a new super-soldier serum, Bob Reynolds develops immeasurable powers. He gains the power of 1000 molten suns and thus becomes the most powerful superhero on Earth. Except that his dark side regularly takes over. When he saves a life, he fuels his second identity: Void. When Sentry loses control, Void emerges and becomes the sole master on board. Void is a dark, demonic version of Robert Reynolds, even more powerful than Sentry. This identity dichotomy makes Sentry one of the most interesting recent characters in the entire House of Ideas.
1) What does the asterisk in the title Thunderbolts* mean?
The title Thunderbolts is accompanied by a small asterisk. Throughout the film's promotion, we wondered what this asterisk meant. Finally, Marvel Studios finally provided some answers. This little asterisk refers to the absence of the Avengers from the Marvel Universe. Indeed, the Avengers have completely disappeared from circulation, and the asterisk refers to the subtitle of the Marvel production: "The Avengers are not available". As in the comics, the Thunderbolts are intended to replace the Avengers.
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