The MCU Projects You Must Watch Before Thunderbolts*

The release of the final film of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 5 is on the horizon, and it looks to be one of the more exciting adventures of them all. Thunderbolts* teams up Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker aka U.S.

Agent, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, and David Harbour’s Red Guardian to take on a variation of Lewis Pullman’s Bob aka Sentry. That is, when they’re not dealing with the manipulative mind games of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The last time we saw de Fontaine was in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but her role in that film wasn’t related to assembling this particular team of quasi-heroes.



It was more about putting her ex-husband in prison for working with the Wakandans. So, which MCU projects should you watch before Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2nd? There are three films and one Disney+ series you should catch up on or, more likely, rewatch.Black WidowNatasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena (Florence Pugh) in Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOWIf you include de Fontaine and exclude Sentry, there are seven members of the Thunderbolts*.

2021’s underrated Black Widow introduced three of them. Specifically, Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Kurylenko’s Taskmaster (though it doesn’t look like Taskmaster will be in an awful lot of Thunderbolts*). When it comes to Red Guardian and Taskmaster, Black Widow was the last time they were seen, while Belova popped up in fellow 2021 project Hawkeye.

Thunderbolts* is going to deliver the long-awaited reunion with these characters after a four-year interval. And, if the rumors pan out, the upcoming MCU film will have audiences reconnect with Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff, who was also introduced in Black Widow. To give the 2021 movie further importance in its lead-up to Thunderbolts*, it’s in Black Widow‘s post-credits sequence that it’s revealed de Fontaine and Belova know one another.

Ant-Man and the Waspghost (hannah john-kamen) in ant-man and the waspEvery other project on this list came out in the 2020s and, while it’s been a tough few years’ wait to see most of Thunderbolts*‘s characters again, none have been on the sidelines longer than John-Kamen’s Ghost, whose first and most recent MCU appearance was all the way back in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. It’s especially good to see Ghost again, because she was an example of how not all MCU villains are one-note variations of the respective film’s hero or heroes.Ant-Man and the Wasp was also the film that introduced fans to Laurence Fishburne’s Bill Foster.

And, like Weisz’s character in Black Widow, it’s rumored that he too will pop up in Thunderbolts*.[RELATED: Marvel Star Evangeline Lilly Announces Acting Retirement]The Falcon and the Winter Soldiervalentina allegra de fontaine (julia louis-dreyfus) and john walker (wyatt russell) in the falcon and the winter soldierSo far, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker has only been in one MCU project and that’s Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. His role in that series is an integral one, so it’s a must-watch to understand that particular member of the Thunderbolts*.

Furthermore, it’s in that miniseries that de Fontaine recruits him for the team.Then there’s the Winter Soldier of the title. To get a sense of where Bucky Barnes is emotionally just before Thunderbolts*, this is the MCU adventure to watch.

That said, there’s one Barnes scene in the following entry that’s even more important.Captain America: Brave New Worldsam wilson (anthony mackie) in captain america: brave new worldWhile you do need to see The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before Thunderbolts*, the events of the latter follow Captain America: Brave New World more directly. Or, rather, one scene of Captain America: Brave New World.

Towards the end of the film, Sam Wilson is feeling low, even defeated, as he looks at the wounded Joaquin Torres. His spirits are lifted by none other than his The Falcon and the Winter Soldier partner Bucky Barnes. It’s here that Barnes reveals he’s running a campaign for Congress.

Judging by the trailers for Thunderbolts*, he wins that political race, but given how there’s also a scene with him looking all bummed out in a courtroom, it stands to reason something happens that removes him from office (perhaps permanently) and puts him in a position where he must team up with Yelena, John Walker, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, and Ghost.Thunderbolts* lands in theaters on May 2nd.The post The MCU Projects You Must Watch Before Thunderbolts* appeared first on ComicBook.

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