Thunderbolts* is next in line in the MCU's movie schedule for this year, following the recent cinema release of Captain America: Brave New World. The highly anticipated and totally unusual team-up led by Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes is arriving in less than three months, and here we've compiled every key detail about it, from the confirmed cast to the meaning behind that mysterious asterisk.
If you can't wait to see what the last movie of Marvel Phase 5 has in store, scroll down and check out our guide for Thunderbolts* release date, cast, plot theories, trailers, and more.
The film sees the return of Bucky and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, as well as Wyatt Russell's US Agent (from TV series Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. This groups of misfits, antiheroes and straight-up villains might be the only thing standing between humanity and total destruction, since the Avengers are nowhere to be found.
As we saw in the new Thunderbolts* trailer, released during the Super Bowl, the film is packed with thrilling action sequences, MCU Easter eggs, and a light-hearted sense of humor. After all, Stan once compared it to '80s teen classic The Breakfast Club. With a team-up style in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool and Wolverine, this could be Marvel's next big hit.
If you can't wait to see what's in store, here's everything we know about Thunderbolts* release date, confirmed cast, plot, footage, and all the rumors circling around. Dive into one of the most anticipated titles of the upcoming Marvel movies.
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 (rumored)
- 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.
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.
However, to be honest, the trailers still don't give much away. We'll keep you updated as more details and story rumors head our way.
What does the asterisk mean in Thunderbolts*?
We don't know yet 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.
