Thunderbolts* Director Comments on Founding Members’ Controversial MCU Absence

Marvel fans eagerly awaiting the upcoming Thunderbolts* film have expressed disappointment over Baron Zemo’s conspicuous absence from the team lineup. Director Jake Schreier recently addressed this controversial decision in an exclusive interview with Dexerto, confirming that Daniel Brühl’s scheming villain was never intended to appear in the new ensemble movie. The omission has sparked heated debates among comic book enthusiasts, as Zemo traditionally serves as the founding leader of the Thunderbolts in Marvel Comics lore. Instead, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version opts for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as the team’s orchestrator, bringing together a band of antiheroes including Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Taskmaster, US Agent, Ghost, and Red Guardian.

This departure from source material represents another example of Marvel Studios adapting comic storylines to fit their established cinematic universe, prioritizing narrative continuity over strict comic accuracy.

“There was no version that I was presented with where that was ever true, from the first draft that I read,” Schreier told Dexerto regarding Zemo’s inclusion. “I know some corners of the Internet are not so happy about that.”

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Why Marvel Excluded Baron Zemo From Thunderbolts*

The decision to exclude Baron Zemo from the MCU’s Thunderbolts* stems from the franchise’s evolving storyline. Valentina has been methodically recruiting team members throughout previous Marvel projects, making her a natural fit for the leadership role.

Schreier acknowledged fan expectations but defended the creative direction, explaining, “It’s funny because I know there’s other corners of the Internet that wish that this was more that first run of Thunderbolts where it’s, you know, villains masquerading as heroes. And I think our movie is meant, in some ways, to kind of honor that idea, but coming at it from a different angle.”

Marvel’s approach to Thunderbolts deviates from the original comic concept. The 1997 comic debut introduced the team as supervillains posing as heroes, with Beetle as MACH-1, Goliath as Atlas, Moonstone as Meteorite, Screaming Mimi as Songbird, and Fixer as Techno — all under Baron Zemo’s leadership. Instead, the MCU version assembles established antiheroes with complex backstories already familiar to audiences through previous appearances.

Thunderbolts hits UK cinemas on May 1st and US theaters on May 2nd, potentially setting up future storylines for Phase 5 and beyond. Early reactions suggest the team dynamic offers something fresh within the superhero genre despite – or perhaps because of – Baron Zemo’s absence.