Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: thunderbolts

Thunderbolts* Director Was Told To "Make It Different"

Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier recalls Kevin Feige telling him, "Make it different. Do something with this one. Try to do something different."

The longer that the Marvel Cinematic Universe existed, the more people started to worry that these films were guided less by the directors and writers and more by Kevin Feige and the other big names moving all of the pieces around. People had reasons to be nervous; there was a string of films in phase five that felt weirdly similar in terms of tone, and some of the films post-Avengers: Endgame have felt like setup rather than just telling a good story about a character. There is still far too much set up in the post-Endgame era. The thing that made all of the movies in the initial phases work was the decision to regulate nearly all of the worldbuilding for Thanos for the mid and post-credits scenes, but it does seem that Marvel isn't as controlling as everyone thinks they are.

Or, maybe they are, and Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier got lucky. Schreier recently spoke to The Wrap about his time filming Thunderbolts*. When asked what elements of the production surprised him, Schreier also thought that the MCU was filmmaking by committee and not creatives.

"I mean, whether I'll be believed or not, but I can say it genuinely, what I was really surprised about is that it was not a machine and that it was just this really supportive environment," Schreier explained. "Because of the longtime success of the company, there is this autonomy and this ability for it to be a few people in a room just coming up with ideas, and if they like those ideas, they say, "Go for it." I think from the moment I came in, Kevin said, "Make it different. Do something with this one. Try to do something different."'

"And that's such a supportive prompt to be given by the head of a company that's had so much success doing things a certain way," he continued. "You try to make your shortcomings, your strengths. It's not the most familiar title to people. Because of that, can you take that and use it as an opportunity to try to run off. If the same set of expectations are not there, can you use that to do something different?"

It sounds like Schreier managed to find a balance of being able to make Thunderbolts* true to his specific vision while also working within whatever constraints Feige and everyone else placed around him. You can always tell when Marvel plays well with directors, and Schreier is reportedly returning to work on X-Men. When it comes to ranking Marvel characters, the X-Men are near the top of the entire company, full stop, and being trusted with that is a big deal.

Thunderbolts*: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

In Thunderbolts* Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?

Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, and Wendell Edward Pierce.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D'Esposito, Brian Chapek, and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* opened in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.

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