There was a lot of excitement surrounding the news that Marvel Studios is finally moving forward with a Thunderbolts movie, but the roster reveal definitely underwhelmed last summer.
With a team made up of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost, Taskmaster, they're mostly Super Soldiers, meaning the group lacks variety and many of the heroes/villains who feature in the Thunderbolts comic books. Perhaps the most disappointing omission, outside of Daniel Brühl's Baron Zemo, is Songbird.
A founding member of the team, Melissa Gold - formerly known as Screaming Mimi - the character can produce supersonic screams, create constructs, and fly.
Now, a rumour shared by r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers' moderators from "trusted sources" claims that Songbird will be in Thunderbolts, with Stranger Things star Sadie Sink said to be among those eyed for the role. That's a little surprising when the actress is only 20 years old, but it likely means the movie will serve as an origin story for the character in the MCU.
As for the full roster, it's said that will consist of the characters revealed at D23 along with Songbird, Ironheart villain The Hood (Anthony Ramos), and The Sentry.
With any rumour like this, it's best to take the information revealed here with a pinch of salt for the time being. These additions do make sense, though a nine-person team seems a bit much. Of course, not every character will get the same amount of screentime, and The Sentry is actually expected to be the movie's big bad.
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, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster.
Written by Eric Pearson and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts is set to be released in theaters on July 26, 2024.