The Thunderbolts have gone through a lot of reinvention over the years. Debuting twenty-five years ago, the team’s roster, leadership, and even mission statement have changed multiple times, making it tricky to determine which version of the team will show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation of the concept.
Looking back at the history of the team and its purposes in the universe though, it’s worth considering which incarnations of the team could make sense given the current direction of the MCU and which one might be the most useful.
The Thunderbolts have a surprisingly varied history, with multiple iterations of the team appearing since their introduction in 1997. In the fallout of the Onslaught Saga, a new team debuted as protectors of the public. The Thunderbolts were also secretly an assortment of villains, assuming new identities in a long-term plan to become beloved figures before using their newfound resources to gain influence in the villain community. Founded by Baron Zemo, the plan fell apart as members of the team (including the former Screaming Mimi and Beetle, now going by Songbird and Mach-V respectively) genuinely fell into heroism.
Afterward, the Thunderbolts have been reinvented multiple times. For a period, Hawkeye joined the team and became their leader, helping cement the former villains into more heroic figures. During the events of (and ensuing fallout of) Civil War, Norman Osborn was tasked with reforming the team as a black-ops squad sent to deal with unregistered heroes. Counting Moonstone, Venom, Swordsman, and Bullseye among their number, this team later became the cornerstone of the Dark Avengers.
In the Heroic Age storyline, Luke Cage was tasked with turning a group of former criminals into agents for the government, making them very much Marvel’s version of Suicide Squad. The Red Hulk would later recruit his own team (consisting of Deadpool, Punisher, Elektra, Ghost Rider, and the Leader) to handle incredible dangerous missions for the world. Winter Soldier tried to redeem the team after Avengers: Standoff!, and Wilson Fisk turned the team into his personal police force during Devil’s Reign.
In short, the Thunderbolts name has been used with a lot of teams, with a lot of intentions behind them. So the question now becomes which version of the group will serve as the primary inspiration for the MCU Thunderbolts. It’s possible this is the team Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has been recruiting for dangerous missions, which could make this a loose adaption of the Norman Osborn version of the team. Meanwhile, the number of former villains in the MCU that could use a shot at redemption could set the stage for a story that takes inspiration from the Luke Cage-led roster. Baron Zemo’s presence could even set the stage for him to assemble his own team, adapting the original incarnation of the team for the MCU.
It’s also possible that The Thunderbolts could be used as a means of bringing together some darker characters recently given the green light to appear in the universe. As violent characters like Punisher, Elektra, Ghost Rider, and Deadpool are now under the MCU banner, an adaptation of the Ross-led incarnation of the team could make for a straight-forward way to group the MCU’s most dangerous anti-heroes. While it’s likely the Thunderbolts will be the result of Val’s machinations, the team could be the way to bring some very controversial heroes to the big screen in a way that doesn’t fundamentally change the MCU without sanding down these characters.
