When the cast of Thunderbolts* was revealed, it immediately became clear that the movie would feature a lot of characters from Black Widow and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Since then, the prevailing theory has been that this is a sequel to both projects (but primarily Black Widow with Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, and to a lesser extent, Taskmaster, all put front and centre).
Talking to SFX, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier insisted that his movie isn't Black Widow 2, despite it continuing the stories of the characters mentioned above.
"Without giving away too much, a lot of what David [Harbour] and Florence [Pugh] are working with as material in this movie relates to that past relationship," the filmmaker shared.
"And there's resonance to that, so I think it's important to everyone to preserve that legacy of something that emotionally meant so much to people," Schreier continued, "and make sure that we refer to that in the right way, and we protect it and make sure that it means something."
"I think we're pulling from all of their histories and then trying to tell something new. I don't think that it feels like a Black Widow sequel. I think it feels like it's a sampling of people from different parts [of this universe]," he explained. "It's definitely a part of our story but it's not the driving force that leads into this film."
While Thunderbolts* isn't the movie some fans wanted, this sort of connectivity with previous projects is exactly what many have been crying out for in a Saga where most stories have felt very separate from each other.
Looking to the future, it seems the plan is to establish these characters as a new team of Avengers, making them a pivotal part of what comes next as we head into Doomsday and Secret Wars. The first social media reactions for the movie have been glowing, though it will be interesting to see how the full reviews compare.
You can check out a new TV spot for Thunderbolts* below.
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by 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, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.