From masters of evil to forces of good: The Thunderbolt journey

Marvel's Thunderbolts (2025) isn’t the typical superhero flick. The film features a ragtag crew of reformed villains and misfits. It is the MCU's version of a dysfunctional family reunion, packed with espionage, complex character arcs, and a surprise visit from another set of superheroes.

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Initial lineup

When the Thunderbolts made their comic debut in The Incredible Hulk #449 (1997), Marvel fans were hit with a major twist: a superhero team who, in reality, were supervillains in disguise. Led by the nefarious Baron Zemo, posing as the heroic ‘Citizen V’, the team was a bait-and-switch—and the readers loved it.

The comic’s premise was devilishly brilliant. With the Avengers and the Fantastic Four presumed dead (according to the comic plotline), the Thunderbolts stepped in to fill the hero vacancy, all while secretly plotting world domination. But what they did not expect was to start liking the one thing they hated—being a hero. Cue moral dilemmas, betrayal, and a series that kept readers guessing whether these guys were actually honest or just good at faking it.

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Over the years, the Thunderbolts roster changed more than any other Marvel team. Hawkeye led them for a while, followed by some spells under Luke Cage, Bucky Barnes and even Norman Osborn—yes, the Green Goblin himself.

This comic legacy is where the Thunderbolts truly shine: they're Marvel's ultimate grey area. Heroes? Villains? Something in between? Depending on the writer, the day of the week, and the line-up, the story changes.

Meet the MCU's "Not-So-Mighty" Heroes

In the film, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) assembles a team of antiheroes including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Bob (Lewis Pullman), a nod to the comic character Sentry. The film does wink at the comics, especially in its chaotic team dynamics, but the core theme of villainy-gone-good is largely replaced by trauma bonding and CIA interference.

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The post-credits scene hints at a return to the comic roots: worlds colliding, unexpected alliances, and maybe, just maybe—a Marvel future that remembers the Thunderbolts were never meant to be clean-cut heroes. 

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