Tag: Infinity War

The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before ‘Thunderbolts*’

Outside of the Avengers films, Marvel Studios’ next film, Thunderbolts*, will demand more from audiences than any other MCU film to date. Thanks to its ensemble cast, the Jake Schreier-helmed film looks to serve as a sequel or follow-up to more projects than any other non-Avengers film in the MCU’s 17-year history.

Originally developed as a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow, Thunderbolts* has evolved significantly–perhaps more than any MCU project ever–over the past few years. While it will still feature Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova as the lead and introduce Lewis Pullman‘s not-so-mysterious Bob, it will also feature a heavier-than-originally-expected dose of Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes. Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen and Olga Kurylenko will all also reprise their MCU roles and team up with Yelana and Bucky to take on Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ baddie, Val, and her enigmatic OXE group.

You’re talking about a group of characters that have done a lot of bad things, and maybe are struggling with feeling good about themselves. There’s an element that does speak to mental health, and loneliness, and how some of the darkness that we experience in our lives can’t be necessarily fixed, but can only really be made lighter through connection and finding others.
-Jake Schreier

With so many characters and their stories intersecting in Thunderbolts*, the upcoming film might require a bit more prep time than some of Marvel Studios’ recent projects. If you’re still reading, you’re probably ready to get started and so, as is our way, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before… Thunderbolts*.

Tier One

If you’ve never seen a single second of any of Marvel Studios’ films or streaming series, these Tier One projects should be considered the bare minimum to get yourself ready for Thunderbolts*. These four projects will introduce you to the film’s main characters and set the stage for you to follow the next steps on their journeys.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

🍅 80%

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

🍅 90%

Truthfully, Captain America: The First Avenger is tough to slot on a list like this until you realize it’s a fictional universe and nothing actually matters. That said, while a fair argument can be made for its inclusion in Tier One, a counterargument can be made that, for all intensts and purposes, the James Buchanan Barnes introduced in TFA died in the fall from the train. While he’s no longer the Winter Soldier, Bucky is not–and never has been–the character from this film. Pairing Captain America: The Winter Soldier with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier does enough to prepare a first-timer for Bucky’s role in Thunderbolts*; however, TFA does provide additional context for Bucky’s tortured persona and why he’s striving so hard to change the world around him.

So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man.”
“Did it make him stronger?”
“Yes. But there were other… effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man.
-Abraham Erskine, Captain America: The First Avenger

And after you logic your way through all of that, the simple fact remains that even though it’s not the first film in which it’s mentioned, Captain America: The First Avenger is chronologically the first time the Super Soldier Serum is a factor in the MCU. It’s continued to play a role in several projects and will do so again I Thunderbolts*.

While it’s not the first appearance of Bucky Barnes–that came in Captain America: The First Avenger—Captain America: The Winter Soldier is THE definitive Bucky film. Over a decade later, the 2014 film remains unparalleled as an action-packed thriller and helped set Sebastian Stan on the path to MCU royalty.

Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

🍅 87%

While the last film in the Ant-Man franchise may well be remembered as one of Marvel Studios’ worst films, Ant-Man and The Wasp, the franchise’s second installment, is a fun ride worth taking. It served a surprisingly major role in The Infinity Saga but if you’re prepping for Thunderbolts*, you’re watching it to get to know Hannah John-Kamen‘s Ava Starr, aka Ghost. Thunderbolts* is Ava’s first MCU appearance since Ant-Man and The Wasp, so there’s a lot to catch up on, including how her powers have evolved since we last saw her.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Actually, it’s Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. I know it’s hard, but I don’t like to repeat myself, so you can just call me Val. But don’t call me Val, just keep it in your head.
-Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)

🍅 85%

Marvel’s second streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might do the heaviest lifting of any project on the list. Not only does the 6-episode introduce Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker, who looks to play a pretty major role in Thunderbolts*, it also tells a key chapter in Bucky’s story and introduces Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val, who is responsible for assembling the Thunderbolts. The project also adds to the Super Soldier Serum narrative by introducing Isaiah Bradley, the Flag Smashers and by creating a new Super Soldier when Walker injects himself with the newest version.

They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different.
Dr. Wilfred Nagel, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier

Black Widow (2021)

🍅 79%

Released simultaneously in theaters and via Disney Premier Access on D+, Black Widow not only finally gave Scarlett Johansson the lead after spending a decade in the MCU but it also introduced her messy family of Russian spies. Popping back Nat’s life after decades away, Florence Pugh‘s beautifully flawed Yelena Belova, David Harbour‘s bellicose and bombastic Alexi Shostakovich, Russia’s very own Super Soldier, and Rachel Weisz‘s shifty Melina Vostokoff helped show a more vulnerable side of the character. The chemistry between Pugh and Harbour was a highlight of the film and something to look forward to again in Thunderbolts*. And if you’re watching, stick around for the PCS which leads directly into the next project on the list…

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

🍅 84%

Given how little screentime Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val has had in the MCU, it stands to reason that the project in which she’s on screen the most is a must watch heading into Thunderbolts*. While it still isn’t a truly heavy dose of the character, it does provide plenty in the way of exposing the kind of person she is whilenalso revealing her lust for power and what she’s willing to do to acquire it.

Tier Two

Tier Two projects occupy an interesting place on The Ultimate Lists. While they’re never required viewing, they always offer something that can add to the viewing experience of the upcoming project.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

🍅 68%

After being forgotten for a decade and a half, The Incredible Hulk is cool again…or at least relevant. Bruce Banner’s work on Project Gamma Pulse was meant to recreate Dr. Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. Obviously that didn’t go as planned…TIH includes not one but two Super Soldiers gone wrong in Banner and Emily Blonsky. When will these people learn?!?!

Hawkeye (2022), Episodes 4-6

🍅 92%

One of the studio’s strongest beginning-to-end streaming series, Hawkeye features a three-episode appearance by Pugh‘s Yelena that while not necessary to enjoy Thunderbolts* will add to your enjoyment of it. Yelena’s time in Hawkeye–most of which is spent enjoyably with Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop–is fascinating and allows for further excavation of the deeply rooted issues the former Red Roomer deals with.

Tier Three

For completists only…

Tier three projects may offer nothing more than cameos, passing references or relevant background information for upcoming projects but nothing in them will ever make or break a fan’s viewing experience.

The Avengers (2012)

🍅 91%

The best example of what type of information can be expected from Tier Three projects comes right off the bat: you’re watching this one just to visit Stark Tower for the first time. The building is a central location in The Avengers and, 13 years later, is again in Thunderbolts*, though now under new ownership.

Iron Man 3 (2013), Post-credit Scene

🍅 79%

Following Stark Tower becoming Avengers Tower in the final moments of The Avengers, the next visit to the facility can be found in the PCS to Iron Man 3 where the science bros are talking some things out.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

🍅 76%

The last project in which Avengers Tower serves as a key location in the Sacred Timeline, AoU sees the facility fully realized as a true home base for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Following the events of the film, the Avengers moved out of the tower and into the Avengers Compound in upstate New York.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

🍅 90%

While Cap and Iron Man throwing down is the main attraction, Bucky’s very naughty past is what incites the Civil War. A great watch and full of plenty of interesting details about Bucky’s past and post-TWS present, skipping Captain America: Civil War won’t impact your viewing of Thunderbolts* but a watch/rewatch will help you better understand the new Bucky Barnes.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

🍅 92%

A brief trip to Avengers Tower reveals that the Happy is in charge of moving out the team’s things so that the new owner can take possession…that new owner is, of course, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val!

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

🍅 85%

Avengers: Infinity War is always worth a watch though it really doesn’t have much to offer in the way of preparing for Thunderbolts*. A little bit of Bucky’s story is told here, including revealing what he’d been up to In Wakanda, but beyond that, just enjoy it for the action!

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

🍅 94%

Like Infinity War, Endgame offers a bit of Bucky but the real interest here, if there is any, is the ripple effect Nat’s death will eventually have on Yelena…but Yelena isn’t in the film, so just knowing Nat died will suffice. You could also argue that the Time Heist adds some additional context to what was going on inside Avengers Tower during the Battle of New York but how important will that be?

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

🍅 48%

Because Bucky is in it…for a minute.

About Thunderbolts*

The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

In Thunderbolts* Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes—Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
-Official Synopsis for Marvel Studios Thunderbolts*

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin.

March 23, 2025
Kevin Feige Uncertain About Nova’s MCU Future

With the MCU expanding into so many new corners, numerous fan-favorite characters are making their live-action debuts. One character in particular that people are eager to see adapted is Nova. The character first appeared in 1976 and has served as both a protector of Earth and one of the galaxy’s greatest heroes.

The opening of Avengers: Infinity War seemingly set up a possible origin story for Richard Rider, with Thanos decimating Xandar off-screen it in pursuit of the Power Stone. During the press rounds for that film, Kevin Feige teased the “immediate potential” of the character, but over three years later, he’s still yet to be seen. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Feige was asked if it was more likely we’d see the Human Rocket introduced in his own project or in another film. And as he often does, Feige didn’t give much of an answer:

It’s a good question, it’s a good question. We have plenty, you know it depends…we oftentimes…see Black Panther is a great example! We were always working a Black Panther standalone. The world of Wakanda, how to dive into that. Then the opportunity for him to appear first in Civil War came up. So it always varies.
Kevin Feige

Feige definitely seems to be hinting here that Nova could indeed appear in another project in a smaller, supporting role before eventually spinning off into his own project. With so much focus on Xandar in the Guardians of The Galaxy films, and Vol. 3 currently in production, it feels like it might be the best place for the character to debut.

SOURCE: Instagram

December 7, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’ Continues Marvel’s Exploration of Father Issues

Finally, the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings dropped. We got our first look at Simu Liu in the titular role, as he tries to live his own life out of the shadow cast by his father Tony Leung‘s Wenwu. After a ten-year rest, his father calls upon him to take over the leadership of the Ten Rings. His return into the world he tried to leave behind will re-awaken some dormant issues between him and his estranged parent. Now, producer Jonathan Schwartz highlighted the focus

The core of Shang-Chi’s arc in the comics is really a family drama. That was something that Destin keyed into really early on in our conversations, the idea of taking this broken family and this really dark, even abusive family background and seeing what that does to a child over time.

This story isn’t the first time that Marvel Studios has explored a dark and abusive relationship like this. Avengers: Infinity War put quite a bit of focus on how Thanos turned his adoptive daughter into the perfect killing machine. Of course, it pushed her away from him, as his warped view of the world left a deep rift between them. Let’s not even get started on his abusive behavior towards Nebula and how that even destroyed any chance for his daughters to bond.

Now, Thanos wasn’t the only father leaving a long-lasting scar on his child. Tony Stark’s journey was haunted by the sins of his father early on. The second entry in his trilogy highlighted that very legacy weighing down on Stark, who translated that into some rather destructive behaviors. Learning to overcome his issues allowed him to embrace his mentor role for Peter Parker. Now, unlike Gamora, he was able to make amends with his father in Avengers: Endgame even if Howard Stark had no idea he was talking to his son from the future. Still, it offered a more positive ending for Tony to take away and push him towards his final decision.

Marvel Studios wasn’t the only live-action adaptation in the Marvel family exploring family ties as a core anchor for their storytelling. Marvel TV gave us the ever-expanding family in Agents of SHIELD. The relationship between Phil Coulson and Daisy Johnson, especially during the second season while being hunted by her biological father. We witnessed her even sacrifice a potential relationship with him to ensure he doesn’t have to live with the nightmares of his own actions driven by desperation to find her. Daisy carried that weight with her with Coulson taking on that role she was missing.

Now, an episode that hit home with me was in Daredevil. The close relationship between the Murdocks before tragedy would eventually separate them was laid out in just a few episodes. We see a father struggling to meet ends meet by doing the only thing he believes he can do. The weight of trying to take care of his son and ensure he doesn’t repeat his mistakes will tear at anyone’s heartstrings. In a way, the story of parentage and how it defines the next generation will continue carrying an important role in the MCU, as younger heroes take over legacy titles. It looks like Shang-Chi is kicking off a new generation of heroes with father issues.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

April 19, 2021
Are The Infinity Stones Truly Gone?

With Avengers: Infinity War recently being added to Disney Plus, Marvel took the opportunity to give a rundown of the history of each of the Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

View this post on Instagram

Noteworthy is that the IG post by Marvel Entertainment lists the status of each of the stones as “destroyed”, a description which has caused a little debate online. To clarify, the stones in question here are those from the Prime Timeline and not the ones that were acquired as part of the time heist in Avengers: Endgame; each of those stones is clearly still in play in its individual timeline which explains why we have a Loki show coming up on Disney Plus eventually.

As Thanos told the Avengers, he “used the stones to destroy the stones” as they served no further purpose than to pose as a temptation; however, as the Russos described in an interview in May of 2019, even in the MCU the stones follow the very important scientific principle of the conservation of mass so the true fate of the stones was, as Thanos further described it, isn’t quite so simple and incredibly important. Even the power of the Infinity Stones can’t change the simple fact that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, but Thanos did use that power, and the particulate nature of matter, to reduce the stones into their individual atoms.

This is good news for the MCU because, as the Ancient One told Bruce Banner, the stones are essential to the flow of time and their removal or destruction would portend very, very bad things for the timeline. So while the stones aren’t big chunks of matter anymore, all the matter that made up the stones still exists which means the world can keep on keeping on. We will see what implication, if any, this has on the future of the MCU, other than allowing it to have one, when Phase 4 gets going sometime in the next 4 months to a year.

July 1, 2020
SCOOP: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Will See a Different Steve Rogers

Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy on MCU Exchange on July 17, 2017.

The Avengers: Infinity War trailer shown at D23 was full of a lot jaw dropping moments but one of the ones that seems to have really caught the interest of fans was the appearance of a bearded Steve Rogers. While the secrets of Infinity War have been well-kept, we do have a little info about that bearded Rogers and what you can expect from him when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters next May!

When we last saw Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, he had put down the shield after his battle with Tony Stark, broken his buddies out of the Raft and took up residence inside the nation of Wakanda. Having turned his back on his past, Rogers is now a man without a country (even a war criminal?) and, as a result, will be taking on a new alias in Infinity War. The Russo brothers have proven themselves as knowledgeable fans of the comics, finding incredibly deep cuts that only the truest of believers would pick up. We’re told that they’ve done it again and that we should expect Captain America no more as the Steve Rogers we see in Infinity War will be a Nomad!

Comic readers will remember an incredibly short-lived run (Captain America #180-184) where Rogers, disillusioned by the revelation of the Secret Empire running America, took off his Captain America costume and donned a caped blue and yellow uniform. While we won’t be seeing an exact duplicate of that costume in Infinity War, Rogers’ costume will pay homage to his time as Nomad. It’s also worth noting that the bearded look, which is Chris Evans‘ preferred look anyway, does resemble Rogers’ time in Dimension Z from Rick Remender’s recent run.

The move towards Nomad is more than a nice nod to the comics. Rogers, as he did in the comics, has become disillusioned with what he has had to sacrifice to do the things he knows he must. The Russos sowed the seeds of this move early in Civil War and Rogers has had a tremendous personal arc over the course of the films in which he has appeared. His decision to become Nomad is representative of him no longer looking to follow orders or even give them, but to simply do what he believes is right.

Given what we’ve heard about the scale of destruction in Infinity War, there’s no telling if Rogers will ever pick up the shield again or if it’s time for someone else (looking at you Sam Wilson) to take on the mantle of Captain America. What do you guys think of this nod to a classic story line? Are you headed out to find a copy of Captain America #180?

July 17, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: Details About Thanos’ Black Order In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Revealed

Note: This article was originally published by Charles Murphy at MCU Exchange on June 12, 2017.

“You are a disappointment sister; out of all our siblings, I hated you least.”

Brutal beatings at each other’s hands. Each loss made a permanent memory by Thanos as he rebuilt them to make them better. It’s safe to say that James Gunn has created a relationship between sisters Nebula and Gamora that went a little beyond the usual sibling rivalry, but the two daughters of Thanos seem to have come to an understanding and have chosen very different paths from the one their adoptive-father intended. However, as Nebula indicated, there are other siblings, other children of Thanos, whom we haven’t yet met and if Nebula and Gamora are any indication, they could be pretty nasty.

We can tell you that when Avengers: Infinity War rolls around, we will meet the other children of Thanos and, in fact, we’ve already seen them on set!

Earlier in the year, actor Terry Notary revealed that he was working alongside Josh Brolin and 3 other actors in Avengers: Infinity War and that his character, the “right-hand man” of Thanos, was “truly evil.” Set photos from Scotland seemed to indicate that we might be seeing some of Thanos’ generals, known in the comics as the Black Order, when Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters.

Our source indicated to us that this iteration of the characters, first seen in Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers #8, won’t be referred to as the Black Order, but instead will be the siblings mentioned by Nebula! When Thanos goes looking for the Infinity Stones, he’s going to send his children and they’ll be bringing bad intentions with them.

While we can’t confirm which of the characters are being used and which is being left out, we feel confident with our previous prediction that Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight will be among them. We also feel pretty confident that if Nebula and Gamora are the well-adjusted children of the Mad Titan, that the Avengers are in for some serious trouble.

With the inspiration drawn from Hickman’s work and the recent set photos indicating Wakanda will play a role in the film, we are hoping to see something along the line of the Black Dwarf’s Wakandan invasion. In the comics, while Thanos’ other generals had defeated the Avengers around the globe, Wakanda, led by T’Challa and his sister, Shuri, turned back the army of the Black Dwarf, helping stem the tide of the invasion and give hope to Earth.

It’s interesting to see which Infinity-related events the Russo brothers have been using for inspiration and it’s becoming very clear that we are not going to be getting a straight adaptation of any one Infinity story. It’s exciting to see the Russos pull what was a solid concept from Hickman’s recent work and fit it into an opening already established by Gunn. While we don’t know if we’ll get much background on how the Mad Titan collected his children, they will undoubtedly provide an incredible threat to the Avengers and we expect that they may even prove to be too much in some instances!

June 12, 2017