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Marvel Studios has released the debut trailer for Thunderbolts*, set to be the last film of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (yes, that asterisk is deliberate, and no, Marvel Studios chief Keven Feige has yet to explain why).
The trailer, below, kicks off with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova visiting her father, Red Guardian (David Harbour), who isn’t in the best of places. It’s clear neither character is particularly happy with their lot and both are in need of some stimulation.
Throughout the course of the trailer we see this anti-hero team-up take shape, with Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, and Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster trying to wrap their heads around what’s happening to them even as they fight one another. Sebastian Stan reprises his role as Bucky Barns / Winter Soldier, and based on the trailer, we’ll see Bucky go up against the Thunderbolts before becoming their de facto leader.
At one point we see Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is ostensibly in charge of the Thunderbolts. But the highlight is a first look at Lewis Pullman’s Bob, aka Sentry, who appears bemused when the rest of the team turn up unannounced.
Top Gun: Maverick star Lewis Pullman replaced Steven Yeun as Sentry following The Walking Dead star’s departure from the role. Pullman, the son of actor Bill Pullman, delivered a memorable performance as Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, with other notable credits including 2018 neo-noir thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, the TV series Outer Range, and, most recently, Apple’s Lessons in Chemistry opposite Marvel star Brie Larson.
The role of Sentry became vacant after Yeun had to drop out of the Thunderbolts line-up due to scheduling conflicts because the movie got pushed from the 2024 release slate following a major reshuffle in the aftermath of the dual writers and actor strikes, leaving Deadpool & Wolverine as the only MCU movie out this year.
Sentry is perhaps the most dangerous and powerful superhero in the Marvel Universe but has not had much exposure outside of Marvel’s comics, apart from appearing in a handful of mobile games like Marvel Puzzle Quest, Marvel Future Fight, and Marvel Snap, so it will be interesting to see the character come to life on the big screen.
Jake Schreier is directing Thunderbolts from a script penned by Beef scribe Lee Sung Jin, who is working from the first draft by Black Widow screenwriter Eric Pearson. David Harbour previously said Pearson had a “really cool” idea for the story that would “drop a bomb” on the MCU when it eventually comes to theaters.
Thunderbolts* hits cinemas May 2025.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
