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Thunderbolts* is an upcoming 2025 American superhero movie produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, based on Marvel Comics' team of the same name.
It is the 36th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, Thunderbolts* features Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, among others.
The movie is about a team of antiheroes coerced into a mission that could cost them their lives after they are trapped in a fatal conspiracy. Thunderbolts* was well-received by critics and grossed $172.9 million domestically, ranking as the eighth-highest-grossing film for 2025.
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Yelena Belova, working for CIA director Valentina de Fontaine, uncovers a deadly conspiracy tied to a secret superhuman program. After a botched mission reveals they were sent to die, Yelena teams up with John Walker, Ava Starr, and others to form the Thunderbolts.
After discovering the unstable Sentry, the team must face their pasts to stop a rising threat in New York. As de Fontaine twists the narrative, they are reluctantly dubbed the New Avengers amid a looming cosmic danger.
Thunderbolts* leaves fans with key MCU questions, including the fate of Taskmaster, the mysterious "space crisis" Yelena mentions, and the two rival Avengers teams. Bucky joining the New Avengers sparks trust issues due to the team's Russian ties, while Bob's powers and cosmic threats signal big changes ahead in the MCU.
7 MCU questions after Thunderbolts*
1) Is Antonia Dreykov, also known as Taskmaster (played by Olga Kurylenko), truly dead?
Taskmaster's sudden death in Thunderbolts*—a Ghost headshot and an explosion—was curiously final, particularly for a character with so much potential. Her unmasking before the death, and her body being blown up, is representative of a new beginning, and Olga Kurylenko's exclusion from the Avengers: Doomsday cast list contributes to the feeling of finality.
But in the MCU, death is rarely the end of things, and soon fans were wondering if this was really the last they would hear of Antonia Dreykov.
With Marvel's precedent for using the likes of the Photostatic Veil and its legacy of identity switches, clones, and shared mantles, there is certainly enough space for Taskmaster to come back—either as Antonia or a different character.
Black Widow's Widows who rescued her have a good reason to use the Taskmaster persona for secret missions, and she becomes more symbol than person. By guile, by survival, or by reinvention, Taskmaster's tale can be only just beginning.
2) Who is aboard the Fantastic Four's ship?
The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene seems to be putting in place the Fantastic Four's debut into the core MCU timeline, their ship traveling through dimension to dimension and the team on board. At face value, this verifies that Fantastic Four: First Steps concludes with Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny traveling dimension to dimension.
Some fans speculate the scene actually foretells Doctor Doom's arrival instead. It would make a great diversion and not entirely impossible. Since viewers only catch a glimpse of the outside of the Excelsior ship, someone else may be aboard.
3) What is the "Space Crisis" that Yelena referred to?
The post-credits scene is clearly tied to the events of Avengers: Doomsday and includes a curious moment where Yelena hints at a crisis unfolding in space. She offers no specifics likely because those she is speaking to wouldn’t grasp the significance but the vague mention is intentional, planting seeds for future developments.
This tease in Thunderbolts* raises the possibility that Doomsday will have a cosmic dimension in addition to its multiversal stakes. While no Guardians of the Galaxy members have been confirmed for the movie, the current cast list is likely incomplete.
It is entirely possible this space-based subplot will serve as the gateway for the Guardians or other cosmic heroes to become involved in Doctor Doom’s looming threat.
4) Bucky Barnes sets out to stop Valentina but joins her team—so is he really with her?
Bucky Barnes also known as the Winter Soldier or the White Wolf in Thunderbolts* is shown as a member of the newly formed New Avengers, alongside the surviving Thunderbolts. A brief exchange suggests that Bucky has been in contact with Sam Wilson, who has apparently assembled his own Avengers team.
This implies that the MCU now has two parallel Avengers teams operating at once.
The twist raises questions, especially considering Valentina’s past attempt to eliminate her current team. Why would Bucky align himself with her version of the Avengers? One possible explanation is that he is working undercover to monitor Valentina’s actions.
This development could even hint at a future storyline resembling Civil War II, echoing the comic arc by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez, where ideological divisions split Earth’s heroes once again.
5) Will Bob be alright?
Bob’s role in Thunderbolts is unsettling, as he appears with no memory and is caught in the middle of a violent clash between anti-heroes. Believing he is just an ordinary man, he soon learns he was created by Valentina through Project Sentry.
Despite knowing she tried to eliminate him and the others, Bob is manipulated into thinking he is meant to be Earth’s next great protector.
Eventually, this pressure causes Bob to lose control and unleash his darker alter ego, the Void—though Yelena is able to bring him back. In a later scene, he is shown living quietly at the old Avengers Watchtower, doing simple chores and reading.
It remains unclear whether Bob will ever master his abilities, or if, like Captain Marvel, his immense power makes it difficult for him to fit into the everyday world.
6) Who is on Sam Wilson's competing Avengers Team?
The existence of Sam Wilson’s separate Avengers team sparks a key question: who exactly has he recruited? Given Sam’s stronger connections compared to Bucky, it’s likely his roster includes some major heroes. He may be working with Wong, Captain Marvel, and Hulk—suggesting Shang-Chi could also be involved.
Additionally, Chris Hemsworth and Letitia Wright were announced for Avengers: Doomsday around the same time as Anthony Mackie, hinting that Thor and Shuri might be part of Sam’s lineup as well.
7) Does Valentina realize the optics of having three ex-Russian assets on her team?
If public perception matters in politics, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s New Avengers team is already off to a controversial start. In the Thunderbolts* post-credits scene, the "New Avengers" are assembled, but a glaring detail stands out: nearly half of them are former Russian operatives.
Bucky Barnes, once the Winter Soldier, was a brainwashed assassin for the Soviets. Yelena Belova is a former Black Widow, and Red Guardian (David Harbour) is the Soviet Union's first super soldier.
This lineup - three ex-Russian assets and super soldiers leading the charge under the American flag seems like a PR disaster rather than a redemption story. Despite the team’s goal to restore public trust, it is a controversial choice.
Valentina, already under investigation for illegal experiments, now leads a team made up of past enemies of the state and classified operatives. Whether she is taking a risky gamble or relying on heroic feats to distract from their shady backgrounds remains unclear.
Either way, it is a bold move that raises questions about trust, manipulation, and whether these heroes are truly saviors or just pawns in a larger game.
Interested viewers can catch Thunderbolts*, now playing in theaters.
