Marvel’s Thunderbolts Just Became Required Viewing for Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel Studios decided to steal the spotlight today thanks to the announcement of the entire cast appearing in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The company launched a livestream early in the morning where a series of chairs revealed which actors audiences can expect to see in the highly anticipated crossover, and some of these reveals were directly connected to Thunderbolts*. While the upcoming team-up movie hasn’t hit theaters yet, some of the Thunderbolts members have already been confirmed to return when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battle against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). The stage has been set for an explosive battle that will define the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Recent installments of the MCU haven’t connected with one another all that much, but today made it very clear that Thunderbolts* will lead directly into the Avengers: Doomsday movie. Perhaps the concern that the franchise was losing focus can be laid to rest, now that it’s been confirmed that the events of Thunderbolts* will affect some of the characters that will fight against the evil Doctor Doom next year.

Who Will Return in Avengers: Doomsday?

Marvel Studios has announced that Avengers: Doomsday will mark the return of David Harbour as the Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell as the U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Lewis Pullman as Bob aka Sentry, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. It seems clear that these will be the characters that survive the upcoming movie. Even if some of the other characters from Thunderbolts* manage to make it out of the movie, it remains to be seen how they can fit into the Avengers’ next mission. After all, most of these individuals could be considered villains by the general public of the MCU.

In Thunderbolts*, the team will follow the orders of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the recurring MCU character who has been wanting to lead her own team of Avengers for a while, going so far as to purchase the vacant building formerly known as the Avengers Tower. Regardless of what happens in their first mission, the Thunderbolts will have to get ready to take down the biggest villain the Multiverse has ever seen.

Other heroes who will return in Avengers: Doomsday who aren’t directly related to the Thunderbolts include Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and all of the members of the MCU’s Fantastic Four. Not to mention a lot of X-Men stars.

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How Can Thunderbolts Lead Directly Into ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?

There are plenty of ways in which Thunderbolts* can lead directly into Avengers: Doomsday. With Valentina Allegra de Fontaine looking to build her own heroic team, it could be assumed that the Thunderbolts will be the response approved by the government once Doctor Doom attacks. Sure, President Ross (Harrison Ford) revealed his inte to form a new team of Avengers during the events of Captain America: Brave New World, but that doesn’t mean that they will be ready once it’s time to fight back against an unstoppable threat.

After seemingly taking on Sentry in their own movie, the Thunderbolts could prove to be a powerful team. and when a dangerous entity attempts to destroy the universe, any enhanced individual will be useful.

The last wildcard the Thunderbolts will present for the premise of Avengers: Doomsday will be Sentry. Not much is known about the character portrayed by Lewis Pullman, other than the fact that he will appear again in the crossover directed by the Russo Brothers. If Sentry is as powerful as his comic book counterpart, his help could be crucial in the fight against Doctor Doom. Thunderbolts* will determine the status of Sentry once his introduction is done. Will the character be imprisoned or fatally hurt? Or could his alternate persona “The Void” take on a much more literal meaning in the context of this MCU Multiverse Saga?

Audiences can find out by themselves in a few weeks, when the next MCU film makes its way to the big screen. Thunderbolts will be released on May 2nd, Avengers: Doomsday will be released on May 1, 2026.