Marvel Studios has released the first clip from Thunderbolts*, which finds a down-in-the-dumps Yelena Belova getting ready to jump off a building. She's on a mission but doesn't seem overly enthused to be there.
Yelena talks about having a "void" inside her, and we're sure it's no coincidence that an ominous piece of music plays at that moment (given who the team will face during the final act).
The visuals here are undeniably impressive, and Beef director Jake Schreier clearly favoured practical effects for what looks to be a very different MCU movie.
Thunderbolts* has all the makings of a very special blockbuster, though we recently learned it's targeting a so-so debut at the North American box office in the $63 million - $77 million range, with a $70 million goal. That's a little on the low side, though there's time to turn things around.
"It ended up becoming this quite badass indie, A24-feeling assassin movie with Marvel superheroes," Florence Pugh previously teased while discussing her experience shooting Thunderbolts*.
"Bob is going through what all of them are probably, secretly, going through," she said of Yelena's dynamic with The Sentry. "Yelena sees parts of herself in him. She’s always been someone that wants to look after people. She has a sweet spot for him, and essentially likes looking after him because he’s useless. He’s absolutely useless."
You can watch the first Thunderbolts* clip below, along with a newly released featurette that reveals how "The Jump" stunt was performed for real.
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.