Marvel Studios decided to steal the spotlight today thanks to the announcement of the entire cast appearing in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The company launched a livestream earlier this morning, where a series of chairs revealed which actors audiences can expect to see in the highly anticipated crossover. Some of these reveals were directly connected to Thunderbolts*. While the upcoming team-up crossover hasn’t hit theaters yet, some of the Thunderbolts members have already been confirmed to return when the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battle against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). The stage has been set for an explosive battle that will define the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The recent announcements regarding members of the Thunderbolts* cast appearing in Avengers: Doomsday have made it very clear that the blockbuster directed by Jake Schreirer will lead directly into the crossover directed by the Russo Brothers. Recent installments of the MCU haven’t connected with one another. But the concern that the franchise was losing focus can be laid to rest, now that it’s been confirmed that the events of Thunderbolts* will affect some of the characters that will fight against the evil Doctor Doom next year.
Who Will Return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Marvel Studios has announced that Avengers: Doomsday will mark the return of David Harbour as the Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as the U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. Without giving too much away, it’s evident that these could be the characters that make it out alive when it comes to the next MCU big screen adventure. Even if some of the characters from Thunderbolts* will survive the movie, it remains to be seen how they can fit into the Avengers’ next mission. After all, most of these individuals could be considered villains by the general public of the MCU.
The upcoming Thunderbolts* will reunite super-powered people from all across the MCU in order to stop an unknown threat. The team will follow the orders of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the dreadful director of the Central Intelligence Agency who has been wanting to lead her own team of Avengers for a while. Fontaine even went as far as to purchase the vacant building formerly known as the Avengers Tower. Regardless of what happens in their first mission, the Thunderbolts will have to get ready to take down the biggest villain the Multiverse has ever seen.
Other heroes who will return in Avengers: Doomsday who aren’t directly related to the Thunderbolts include Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Letitia Wright as Shuri and Anthony Mackie as Captain America. Scott Lang was seen for the last time during the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The sequel was determined to introduce a major villain for the franchise’s Multiverse Saga, before unfortunate events forced Marvel Studios to pivot towards the version of Doctor Doom played by Robert Downey Jr. The new Captain America recently took over the big screen and the box office thanks to the release of Captain America: Brave New World.
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How Can Thunderbolts Lead Directly Into ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
There are plenty of ways in which Thunderbolts* can lead directly into Avengers: Doomsday. With Valentina Allegra de Fontaine looking to build her own heroic team, it could be assumed that the Thunderbolts will be the response approved by the government once Doctor Doom attacks. Sure, President Ross (Harrison Ford) showed the intention to form a new team of Avengers during the events of Captain America: Brave New World, but that doesn’t mean that a new team will be ready once it’s time to fight back against an unstoppable threat.
The Thunderbolts could prove to be a powerful team. And when a dangerous entity attempts to destroy the universe, any enhanced individual will be useful, regardless of their past. The Thunderbolts’ situation could be similar to that the Suicide Squad had to go through in the DC Extended Universe. If the government has Yelena and her allies trapped, they could be forced to fight against Doctor Doom regardless of how they feel about the assignment. The people of the MCU will need anyone available to protect them. Doctor Doom could prove to be even more dangerous than Thanos (Josh Brolin).
The last wildcard the Thunderbolts will present for the premise of Avengers: Doomsday will be Sentry. Not much is known about the character portrayed by Lewis Pullman, other than the fact that he will appear again in the crossover directed by the Russo Brothers. If Sentry is as powerful as his comic book counterpart, his help could be crucial in the fight against Doctor Doom. Thunderbolts* will determine the status of Sentry once his introduction is done. Will the character be imprisoned or fatally hurt? Or could his alternate persona “The Void” take on a much more literal meaning in the context of this MCU Multiverse Saga?
Audiences can find out by themselves in a few weeks, when the next MCU film makes its way to the big screen. Thunderbolts will be released on May 2nd, Avengers: Doomsday will be released on May 1, 2026.
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