We don't have too long to wait until Thunderbolts* hits the big screen as the next Marvel movie. However, we've had some exciting news before we've even seen a moment. As part of Marvel's big live-stream announcement of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, they confirmed that almost all of the Thunderbolts* team will be appearing in the upcoming movie.
Among the line-up is Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, as well as Wyatt Russell's US Agent (from Falcon and the Winter Soldier), David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Lewis Pullman's Bob/Sentry. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the final movie of Marvel Phase 5 has to release. And, from what we've seen in the trailers, it looks like it's going to be a great one.
To stay on top of everything you need to know about the Thunderbolts* release date, confirmed cast, plot, footage, and more, you're in the right place. And once you're up to speed, give our upcoming Marvel movies rundown a look too, for what else you can look forward to.
Thunderbolts* release date
Thunderbolts* will be released in theaters this May 2, 2025. It's the last film of Marvel Phase 5, arriving before The Fantastic Four kicks off Marvel Phase 6. Jake Schreier directs.
It's also been delayed a fair few times, with an original release date of July 2024. That means it's landing almost a full year later than planned. Still, we can't complain. At least we have a release date that now looks pretty set in stone, unlike some other recent Marvel movie announcements (looking at you, Blade).
Thunderbolts* cast
The Thunderbolts* cast features some major returning faces, and most of them are big-time stars.
While we are still waiting to see if we'll be getting any surprise casting news and new characters, we have listed all the full and confirmed Thunderbolts* cast for you below:
- Florence Pugh – Yelena Belova
- Sebastian Stan – Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
- David Harbour – Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
- Wyatt Russell – John Walker/US Agent
- Hannah John-Kamen – Ava Starr/Ghost
- Olga Kurylenko – Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
- Lewis Pullman – Bob/Sentry
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
- Geraldine Viswanathan – Mel
Thunderbolts* trailer
A new Thunderbolts* trailer was released at the 2025 Super Bowl (you can watch it above), and it's the most action-packed yet. In the clip, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine tells a courtroom that the Avengers "aren't coming", so it's the Thunderbolts who will have to save the world. There's plenty of ass-kicking action, explosions, and car flips, which gives us an idea of what to expect from the upcoming movie.
Previously, we saw a Thunderbolts* special look trailer (which you can watch below) on November 9, 2024, released during Disney's D23 Brazil event. The teaser is on the longer side, running for over three minutes and 40 seconds, so buckle in if you plan on watching for yourself.
If you aren't fussed about watching the clip above, though, here's our summary: it shows the team at first coming to blows and then ultimately teaming up together under Valentina's direction – along with newcomer Bob, who may or may not be Sentry. Bucky also seems to be keeping an eye on Valentina, and, at one point, he attacks the Thunderbolts*. Yelena, meanwhile, is searching for purpose. Oh and there is also a car chase featuring some jokes that lasts for about a minute as well.
Then, just a month before its release and following the Avengers casting news, Marvel released a new trailer giving us our best look yet at Sentry, check it out below.
Their time has come⚡️Marvel Studios’ #Thunderbolts* only in theaters May 2. pic.twitter.com/nKgkfHKMLbMarch 27, 2025
Thunderbolts* plot
Not a whole lot is known about the Thunderbolts* plot just yet. Obviously, we know it'll see a band of misfits teaming up. Beyond that, though, it's a mystery.
Judging by the trailers, it looks like each of the Thunderbolts is searching for purpose, and of course, the mystery of Lewis Pullman's Bob and his true identity will likely make up a decent chunk of the plot. The Thunderbolts* also look to be going up against those "worse guys" Valentina is talking about in some of the footage.
Meanwhile, it's been revealed that Valentina now owns Avengers Tower, renaming it the Watchtower. To what end would someone who's sent several members of this team to kill others want such a structure? It seems a bit conspicuous for black ops, but maybe that's the point.
Nobody's giving anything away for the time being. We'll keep you updated as more details and story rumors head our way.
What does the asterisk mean in Thunderbolts*?
We don't yet know why Thunderbolts* has an asterisk in the title, but it's there for a reason. "We won't talk anymore about that until after the movie comes out," Kevin Feige teased at CinemaCon 2024. However, we've got some clues about the asterisk so far.
Timed to the latest trailer drop during the 2025 Super Bowl, Marvel Japan shared a new Thunderbolts* poster on social media (you can see it below) where we finally get a meaning behind the asterisk: "*The Avengers are not available". It seems to be a funny way to say that this new group is a downgrade from the Avengers, but they're still the only option available.
Previous footage teased a potential name change, with the asterisk then probably indicating that Thunderbolts is a temporary name. When Red Guardian screams passionately in one of the trailers, "we are the Thunderbolts!", Bucky shakes his head and says: "We can't call ourselves that."
An asterisk then appears on the film's title card after the exchange, suggesting a change could be coming before the film's May 2, 2025 release date. Marvel isn't afraid to change the titles of its movies or shows, so this isn't a ridiculous guess at all. However, only time will tell us if our hunch is correct or not.
That's a wrap on Thunderbolts*. For more, see our guides on watching the Marvel movies in order and the Marvel timeline.
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