Thunderbolts* is a largely standalone MCU movie. However, with the introduction of the New Avengers, it's also one that has a huge impact on the franchise's future heading into Avengers: Doomsday.
It's a must-see (and one of Marvel Studios' best-reviewed titles), but that New Avengers reveal isn't the only way Thunderbolts* teases the future.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's assistant, Mel, just so happens to be an original member of the Thunderbolts on the page, Melissa Gold, a.k.a. Songbird. Geraldine Viswanathan plays the character, though the closest she comes to being "Songbird" is wearing a bird-shaped necklace.
When we spoke to Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier this week, we asked about the intention behind introducing Mel in the movie.
"I think we all wanted, even in Congressman Gary, to just make sure that all the characters there were hints towards deeper connections within the MCU," the filmmaker explains in the video below. "[There are] places these things could go later, and it'll be fun to see if that gets picked up on or not."
While we wait and see what the future holds in store for Songbird, there's another character who everyone was talking about earlier this year, and they weren't even in the movie. In an interview, Schreier briefly mentioned that he considered including Man-Thing, and fans soon started wondering what his cut role might have looked like.
Man-Thing made his MCU debut in Werewolf by Night, and the director set the record straight when we queried just how close he came to being part of Thunderbolts*, and presumably, joining the ranks of the New Avengers.
"We didn't come close at all," Schreier admitted. "I'm still learning how to do these interviews and what gets picked up. If you just say a little thing. It was like my first meeting on the movie. I wasn't hired on it at all yet. It was an idea I threw out, but was not considered because what I didn't know is that Man-Thing was in Werewolf by Night."
He added, "That was also before Robert Reynolds was part of the story, and then once he was in, that just became so much the focus. He was such a fascinating character. We built the story around our characters and him, and what he's going through. We pretty much focused on that team and how to build the best movie out of that."
It's impossible to fault that approach, and as fun as it would have been to see Man-Thing fighting alongside the likes of Red Guardian and U.S. Agent, he wouldn't have made sense for the story being told by Marvel Studios.
So, no Man-Thing, but there are plenty of characters in Thunderbolts* who are well worth spending time with. You can learn more about Yelena Belova, The Sentry, and more by watching our full interview with Schreier.
Thunderbolts* is available on Digital now and will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on July 29.