Following delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Thunderbolts is finally gearing up to begin production. In fact, despite a couple of cast members publicly wondering if it will ever actually happen, scooper Daniel Richtman says pre-production begins next week ahead of filming in March.
Despite speculation that the team will assemble to battle The Sentry and Red Hulk, Richtman says Harrison Ford's "Thunderbolt" Ross isn't in the movie and has nothing to do with the plot.
Does this mean the Thunderbolts aren't even named after a character we expect to see become President in Captain America: Brave New World? It would be odd if they aren't, but then again, Ross is expected to transform into a rampaging Hulk!
It's added that Yelena Belova, The Sentry, and Val are at the centre of the story and there are no plans, despite speculation, for Thunderbolts to be R-Rated.
In other news, following the release of the record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine trailer, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is supposedly mulling over new plans for the titular duo. Impressed by what he's seen from the movie, he's considering adding Wade Wilson and Logan to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, despite the previous idea being to save them for Avengers: Secret Wars.
We'd take all of this with a pinch of salt for now, but it's food for thought at the end of what's been an exciting week for the MCU.
Thunderbolts' confirmed cast members include Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Lewis Pullman as The Sentry.
Written by Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts is currently set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.
As for Deadpool & Wolverine, it stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen.
Shawn Levy directs from a script written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. The movie arrives in theaters on July 26, later this year.
Finally, when it comes to Avengers 5/Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Michael Waldron is said to be rewriting the movie after it lost director Destin Daniel Cretton. For now, it remains on track to be released on May 1, 2026, though we'd be shocked if that doesn't change.