THUNDERBOLTS: 5 Most Likely Possibilities For The Movie's Rumored "Evil Superman"-Type Villain

With rumours swirling that Marvel Studios is looking to cast Thunderbolts' villain, described as an "evil Superman," we have some suggestions about who from the comic books could fill that role in 2024...

By JoshWilding - Nov 21, 2022 02:11 PM EST

Filed Under: Thunderbolts

Thunderbolts is definitely one of Marvel Studios' most intriguing upcoming movies...even if that roster isn't quite what many comic book fans were hoping for.

Now, rumours are swirling that the plan is for the team to square off with a "conflicted and powerful villain" akin to an "evil Superman." Hyperion is an obvious, and somewhat uninspired, suggestion but there are many characters from the comic books who actually fit that description.

We're not 100% sold on claims Ryan Gosling and Alexander Skarsgård are being eyed for this role, and think it's just as likely that a character we know of might be who the team - and hopefully Red Hulk - square off with. Of course, you'll also find some potential new additions to the MCU listed here, but the one thing they have in common is being on par with the Man of Steel!

To find out who made the cut, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below.

5. Wonder Man

Wonder Man is a complicated character who has fought The Avengers just as many times as he's battled alongside them. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will play Simon Williams in his own Disney+ series, of course, but what if that's a sequel to Thunderbolts?

Seeing as he was given his powers by Baron Zemo, it would make all the sense in the world for Wonder Man to be sent after Val's team of Super Soldiers. After all, Zemo hates those imbued with powers akin to Captain America's, and Marvel Studios could subvert expectations by having him create his own team to counter the CIA rather than heading down the Red Hulk route.

That villain could still come into play, of course, and may even be at the heart of what leads to these teams being formed. Regardless of the reason, Simon - free from Zemo's influence - making a name for himself in Hollywood as a reformed villain has all the makings of a great TV series after this movie is released.

4. Virtue

We're guessing many of you won't have heard of Virtue, and we can't pretend that Ethan Edwards would be our top choice of big bad for Thunderbolts.

Sent to Earth as a baby, the alien has an almost identical origin story to Superman and proves himself an incredibly powerful hero. Upon learning that he's a Skrull, however, Virtue loses the plot and shows his true colours; later, he was even enlisted by Wonder Man to join his group of "Revengers," a team dedicated to taking down Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

With Secret Invasion on the horizon, dealing with this incredibly powerful Super Skrull who is posing as a good guy could be exactly what leads Val to assemble her own team. We're sure there would be more to it than that, of course, but there's definitely room to do something interesting with this shape-shifting Superman knock-off.

3. The Sentry

You'll notice that Hyperion hasn't made the cut in this feature despite many believing he's the closest Marvel Comics has to its own Superman. A much better fit for a Multiversal story than Thunderbolts, we're likely to see him on screen at some point, but think The Sentry would be a way better pick for this movie's big bad.

Robert Reynolds was a mentally unstable meth addict who broke into a laboratory and stole an insanely powerful version of the Super Soldier Serum that made him one of the strongest heroes on Earth. It all gets a little complicated at that point, but the hero had a dark side called The Void capable of destroying the entire planet, making him a terrifying and significant threat.

If Val has created a new serum that's been stolen by someone like Robert who believes themselves a hero, then tracking down every Super Soldier she can to stop him...well, what else would she do? These machinations could drive home how corrupt the CIA is, with Red Hulk perhaps the only one capable of eventually stopping The Sentry!

2. Ikaris

richard-madden-eternals-ikaris-different

Eternals was far from the let-down many critics declared it to be, but the fact that it's Marvel Studios' only "Rotten" movie (and one that didn't make the biggest of box office impacts) has left the franchise's future in doubt. While we hope to pick up with those characters again soon, there's one, in particular, we'd like to see make an appearance in Thunderbolts.

In the closing moments of the 2021 movie, Ikaris appeared to fly into the sun, ending his life after turning on his teammates (and after he allowed them to stop Tiamut's emergence). We didn't technically see him die, of course, so why not have him return to an Earth no longer defended by his fellow Eternals in a quest to make up for past "mistakes"?

We don't think it's overly likely because Marvel Studios is hoping to cast a new actor as this "evil Superman," but it sure would be a fun way to bring Richard Madden back to a role he knocked out of the park. Admittedly not a natural fit for the Thunderbolts' world, we can still easily picture a scenario where he was captured by Val or somehow runs afoul of her team.

1. Blue Marvel

Blue Marvel isn't a villain, but that doesn't mean Val couldn't fool her team of heroes into believing he is. In the comic books, Adam Bernard Brashear gained his powers in the 1950s and became the Blue Marvel, wearing a helmet to hide his identity. However, everything changed when the world discovered that he was, in fact, African-American.

The public refused to believe there could be a Black superhero, and the President convinced Adam to retire. The world was made to believe he had died, though the hero was secretly monitored by the U.S. Government after embarking on a normal life.

This could be tied into Isaiah Bradley's story (first touched on in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier), while also better linking Thunderbolts to Captain America: New World Order. Making Blue Marvel an enemy of the state has all the making of a really impactful story, while also laying the groundwork for this character to be a major player moving forward.

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31 Comments

TheLobster - 11/21/2022, 2:34 PM

I really hope this rumor doesn’t end up being true. Not only does it give 2016 Suicide Squad vibes - it’s laughable. What’s Yelena going to do against an “evil Superman” lol

cerrone6 - 11/21/2022, 2:40 PM

@TheLobster - I guess find a way to beat this Superman type just like any other hero would so..
Find the weakness

PatchesOhulihan - 11/21/2022, 3:30 PM

@TheLobster - Spy kick to super nuts

marvel72 - 11/21/2022, 4:01 PM

@TheLobster -

Or Red Guardian and Taskmaster (Taskmistress)

dragon316 - 11/21/2022, 5:05 PM

@TheLobster - killed off?

Scarilian - 11/21/2022, 5:53 PM

@TheLobster -
Hate this concept also, but that said, if it did need to be true then I'd go with White Vision.

Have the Thunderbolts be tasked with taking him down, have White Vision be confused and not out to kill them just to defeat them or stop them going after him. Ghost would then be actually useful as she can counter his phasing technique so he cannot run away - so you'd have a squad focused on stealth setting up an ambush and a squad of heavy hitters to try and lure him to somewhere to be captured.

Thunderbolt Ross would be the core villain though, after retrieving White Vision they understand that Ross is the villain, free White Vision and defeat Ross as Red Hulk.

Ryguy88 - 11/21/2022, 8:29 PM

@marvel72 - cant believe that version is what is now passing off as Taskmaster.

marvel72 - 11/21/2022, 10:54 PM

@Ryguy88 - F*ckin hell, its a joke. I use to criticised Fox X-Men movies for how faithful they were to the source material.

Now the way Disney Marvel are adapting their characters the Fox X-Men could be more comic book accurate versions.

Which is crazy.

Ryguy88 - 11/22/2022, 7:49 AM

@marvel72 - especially if they go for the current rumor and not make Magneto a Polish jew from the 1930's.

Someone needs to get these guys back on track

marvel72 - 11/22/2022, 4:49 PM

@Ryguy88 -

thewanderer - 11/21/2022, 2:35 PM

Did you pick five names out of a hat?

None of these make sense given the roster of Thunderbolts.

Corruptor - 11/21/2022, 2:47 PM

Skull the Slayer. Mission to Bermuda Triangle to capture rogue marine with a power belt. Send it.

OmegaBlack13 - 11/21/2022, 2:51 PM

I think it’s funny how people will accept a Batman/Superman conflict making sense, but a group of extremely effective soldiers with government resources vs a Superman type character is ridiculous.

GhostDog - 11/21/2022, 3:02 PM

Man really snuck Blue Marvel on here…

comicfan100 - 11/21/2022, 3:06 PM

It's rumored to be Sentry. His MCU debut is a long time coming

Timelessicons - 11/21/2022, 3:14 PM

Hyperion would be 1st choice for me with Sentry at a distant second but either could end up being a nice addition if casted well and the script made them a real threat but one that could somehow be handled by the Thunderbolts cast. Considering their strength output is limited in terms of that kind of power, I hope their accumulative I.Q is enough to help them. Red Hulk stepping up to help?

bkmeijer1 - 11/21/2022, 3:26 PM

I still kinda expect Thunderbolts to be a semi-sequel to New World Order, and expect New World Order to be a World War Hulk adaptation. So, my guess it'll be The Sentry

Cyclonus - 11/21/2022, 3:38 PM

Its probably going to be Sentry. They will have a easier time introducing Sentry's origin story in the MCU to change and fit whatever they want.

GodHercules20 - 11/21/2022, 7:12 PM

Sentry solos Thunderbolts

They're gonna use plot armour to defeat him in the movie

cadunovaesbr - 11/21/2022, 7:56 PM

Is anyone else here still upset about this Thunderbolts casting in the movie? I was expecting something closer to the comics (maybe even featuring a new character, like The Beetle or Songbird)

Ryguy88 - 11/21/2022, 8:31 PM

Sentry makes a lot of sense. With all the super Soldier stuff being thrown around, he seems like the logical conclusion.

VincentValjean - 11/21/2022, 9:37 PM

Ikaris? Really????

DUNCAN1 - 11/21/2022, 10:14 PM

I hope its Hyperion and if not SENTRY the rest don't make sense in a film but I can see in a show. As for who I'd want in the role I'd go with one of the following 3 or 4 guys

Zach McGowan,Alexander Skarsgård

,Antony Starr

,or Jensen

Ackles

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THUNDERBOLTS: 5 Most Likely Possibilities For The Movie's Rumored "Evil Superman"-Type Villain

With rumours swirling that Marvel Studios is looking to cast Thunderbolts' villain, described as an "evil Superman," we have some suggestions about who from the comic books could fill that role in 2024...

5. Wonder Man

4. Virtue

3. The Sentry

2. Ikaris

1. Blue Marvel

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