Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: thunderbolts

Thunderbolts*: The Many Movies That Influenced The Team Dynamics

The dynamics between all of the characters in Thunderbolts* were influenced by several different films, including Toy Story 3.

If there is one thing that has been present in comics from nearly the beginning, it's teams and team-ups. It's just fun to take characters from different backgrounds, throw them together, and see what happens. How will they react to each other? Will they complement or hinder each other? We see it all the time because it works. The first phase of the MCU was fun to watch, and we got introduced and fell in love with all of these characters. However, the fireworks show and interpersonal relationships of the Avengers are the ultimate catnip for certain fans. Ever since the Avengers and more heroes have emerged, they have been bringing more and more heroes into "solo" films or just making team movies that aren't Avengers films. Thunderbolts* is absolutely one of those films. Instead of heroes and their personalities bouncing off of each other, we have a bunch of morally dubious, at best, people butting heads. That kind of dynamic is fun to put on screen, and director Jake Schreier revealed to Empire some of the many films that helped inspire the movie. The films included Reservoir Dogs, Ronin, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, and Toy Story 3.

"I had Toy Story 3 in there," Schreier explained. "It wasn't as focused on a genre as much as dynamics amongst characters. They all have that dynamic of a team that is thrown together. … That [furnace] sequence works so well because you've come to care about these characters so much. Can they get out of the trash can together?"

The Thunderbolts* are not the shining heroes you put in front of a camera to prove that this whole concept isn't a bad idea. These are some fundamentally damaged people, and we have seen the damage these characters have endured during the movies and films they were first introduced in. The MCU hasn't shied away from the mental health struggles of Bucky Barnes, but he might be the most well-adjusted member of the Thunderbolts* and that is saying something.

Schreier explained, "You're talking about a group of characters that have done a lot of bad things and maybe are struggling with feeling good about themselves. There's an element that does speak to mental health and loneliness, and how some of the darkness that we experience in our lives can't be necessarily fixed, but can only really be made lighter through connection and finding others." While that is an excellent concept to explore, from Yelena's lingering Red Room trauma to John's anger and insecurity to Ghost's pain, there's only so much time you can dedicate in a film like this. It might be worse to explore it superficially or dismiss the trauma these characters have endured than to mention it all.

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* opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.

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