At D23 Brazil, Marvel Studios debuted a new sneak peek at next summer’s Thunderbolts*, and that preview has now been officially released online. The first part is an extended look at one of the film’s action set pieces, featuring Red Guardian, Yelena, John Walker, and Ghost fruitlessly attempting to evade an enemy convoy chasing them down a desert road. Fortunately for the group, Bucky Barnes swoops in to save the day, single-handedly eliminating the convoy. Unfortunately for the group, their celebration is short-lived since Bucky shoots an explosive device at Red Guardian’s car, neutralizing the team.
The video then transitions to what’s essentially a roll call, detailing the main members of the Thunderbolts* ensemble, also including Taskmaster and Bob. One of the most notable highlights is the team meeting with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine at Avengers Tower. Rather than spelling out the plot (other than the basic premise of a band of misfits coming together), the preview underscores the movie’s tone, alternating between action bits and comedic character interactions. Check it out in the space above.
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Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* will be the last film released in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2025, just a few months after Captain America: Brave New World. Recently, Marvel has been revving up their marketing efforts for the film. After spotlighting Thunderbolts* at their San Diego Comic-Con panel in July, the movie’s first official trailer debuted in September, along with a poster that confused fans when they miscounted star Lewis Pullman’s fingers.
[Related: Why is There an Asterisk in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Title?]
As the final theatrical release for Phase 5, Thunderbolts* is expected to have a sizable impact on the Multiverse Saga. At Comic-Con, David Harbour, who reprises his Black Widow role of Red Guardian, teased that the movie “fundamentally changes” the MCU.
During the early stages of the Thunderbolts* promotional campaign, Marvel has fully embraced the parallels to the Avengers — going so far as to include a “careful who you assemble” tagline in the teaser trailer. That approach continues with this new look from D23, which relies heavily on the team aspect. It’s a sound strategy, particularly since previous MCU installments (the Avengers films in particular) thrived by mixing and matching distinct personalities. It seems like a lot of the fun in Thunderbolts* is going to stem from the dynamic between the characters. The preview features some humorous beats, such as when Ghost refers to John Walker as the “dime-store Captain America.”
So far, Thunderbolts* looks like it will be an entertaining, action-packed ride. As Marvel builds towards Avengers: Doomsday, they’ll be banking on their 2025 slate to continue the momentum re-established by Deadpool & Wolverine. With its prime summer movie season release date, Thunderbolts* will be under pressure to perform, especially if it has long-term ramifications on the franchise. While there’s still a lot of time before the movie opens, the early looks suggest it could be a crowd-pleaser. Marvel fans enjoy a good team-up, and this one boasts the return of beloved characters like Yelena and Bucky, which generates plenty of excitement.