Thunderbolts* new action-packed trailer, released at the 2025 Super Bowl, is making us even more impatient for the MCU's new movie, which is arriving in theaters in less than three months. Following the release of Captain America: Brave New World, it will be the last movie of Marvel Phase 5, so we're expecting plenty of surprises.
To make sure you haven't missed any important details so far, we've compiled everything there is to know about Thunderbolts release date, cast, plot, trailers, and more. With a super cool premise and fan-favorites Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh leading the all-star cast, this is one of the most anticipated titles of the upcoming Marvel movies. The future of the MCU looks pretty bright.
Thunderbolts sees the return of Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova, as well as Wyatt Russell's US Agent and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. They are not the only MCU veterans returning to the big screen, so you might need a refresher to know where all these characters are coming from, and what they have been up.
Looking at the footage already available out there, we can tell the tone is pretty light-hearted, in a similar way to Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool and Wolverine's team-up movie style. We can also see the similarities with DC's Suicide Squad, as this new team is formed by former criminals, misfits and antiheroes looking for redemption.
If you can't wait to see what's in store, here's everything we know about Thunderbolts release date, the lowdown on the latest trailers, the cast, and all the news and plot rumors circling around.
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 did get a clue about the asterisks in the recent trailer for the movie. In the teaser, we see the Red Guardian scream, "We are the Thunderbolts!" Bucky then 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.
