The Thunderbolts' Limited Power Level Makes Sense After The Harvest

Marvel Studios' upcoming Thunderbolts film has become the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe project to be affected by the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

As broken by Deadline, the strike has prompted Marvel to pause production on Thunderbolts, which was originally slated to begin filming in Atlanta in three weeks. Sources say that the current plan is for production to resume after the strike has ended. The same goes for Marvel Studios' upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man, which was in the middle of filming when production was shut down due to the strike.

Marvel and the WGA Strike

The first MCU project to be affected by the strike was Marvel Studios' upcoming Blade reboot film, which halted pre-production earlier this month. At the same time, it was reported that the studio's Fantastic Four reboot was targeting a January 2024 filming start, but that this could change if the strike lasted longer than six months. However, a six-month strike is considered an unlikely prospect. (The last WGA strike lasted just over three months, from Nov. 5, 2007 to Feb. 12, 2008.)

That said, it was also reported at the time that Thunderbolts was still expected to enter production in Atlanta as planned, while Deadpool 3 was still expected to kick off filming in London as planned. Now that things have changed on the Thunderbolts front, it remains to be seen if any other MCU projects will have to delay production as well. Elsewhere -- still in the Marvel realm but outside the MCU bubble -- the strike has resulted in Sony temporarily shutting down the writers' rooms for its live-action Spider-Man spinoff shows Silk: Spider Society and Spider-Man Noir, which are slated to stream on Prime Video.

The writers' strike began on May 2 after contract negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down. Among other things, the WGA is seeking increased pay, better residuals and for limits to be placed on the use of artificial intelligence in the writing process.

Thunderbolts Is Scheduled for 2024

Thunderbolts is currently slated to release in July 2024 as part of Phase Five of the MCU. The film is directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin. It stars Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black Widow, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster and Harrison Ford as Gen. Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross. Additionally, Steven Yeun and Ayo Edebiri have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts is currently scheduled to open in theaters on July 26, 2024.

Source: Deadline

Thunderbolts is set to debut a brand new team of heroes, antiheroes, and reformed villains, but there may be one character on the squad that Marvel is still hiding from audiences. The upcoming film is headed for a 2024 release date, marking the end of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the beginning of the final stretch on the road to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Consequently, Thunderbolts will be one of Marvel's most important films in the Multiverse Saga, wrapping up several ongoing storylines therein. As such, there is one character whose presence on the titular team would connect several previously unrelated MCU storylines.

Phase 5 is dedicated to setting up Thunderbolts after Phase 4 did the groundwork in laying the premise for the new team in the MCU. The biggest news regarding the film came at last year's San Diego Comic-Con, where Kevin Feige announced the characters who would comprise the first Thunderbolts lineup, including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Although rumors have persisted since this announcement that key characters like Abomination (Tim Roth) or Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) may also join the team, there is one other character who would be perfect for the Thunderbolts.

Sharon Carter May Be The Thunderbolts' Seventh Member

Although Sharon Carter's Power Broker twist in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was somewhat sudden, it could set her up as the perfect seventh member of the Thunderbolts. Emily van Camp's character has embraced villainy since being disavowed by the CIA by becoming a black market superpower dealer. However, Sharon appears to have maintained some ties to her former life, potentially including Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the face of the Thunderbolts initiative and the new director of the CIA. Val appears to be behind many of the unanswered mysteries in Phase 4 so far, and her shared CIA background with Sharon Carter is too suspicious to be a coincidence.

One Thunderbolts team member from the comics suspiciously absent from the MCU's lineup is the Iron Patriot, who functioned as the team leader during Norman Osborn's time in charge. Interestingly, Sharon Carter has held the mantle of Iron Patriot in the comics, suggesting that her MCU counterpart could follow a similar path in Thunderbolts. The Iron Patriot suit already exists in the MCU, perfectly paving the road for Sharon to take up her own superhero persona in the near future. Moreover, Sharon's presence on the team would greatly benefit Val, who may have been working with her from the very beginning thanks to their shared background and similar ideals.

How The Power Broker Fits Into Val's Plans

Although Sharon Carter's true plans as the Power Broker remain a mystery, it is easy to see how her operation depicted in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would align with Val's Thunderbolts initiative. As the Power Broker, Sharon specialized in creating artificial superpowers that were strong enough to measure up to the might of the Avengers. She even managed to finance the recreation of Dr. Abraham Erskine's original super soldier serum that gave Captain America his strength. In a world already fraught with unpredictable superpowered people, the Power Broker's mission could provide Val with exactly what she needs to form her own team on behalf of the government.

The U.S. Agent, one of Val's first Thunderbolts recruits, was a product of the Power Broker's super soldier serum, creating a superhero with strength equal to that of Captain America. Sharon Carter's operation provided the perfect reservoir of superpowers for Val and the CIA to draw from in building their own superhero team. Evidently fed up with the unpredictable nature of the Avengers, Val and her superiors may have taken matters into their own hands to create, recruit, and utilize their own superheroes in the form of the Thunderbolts. Indeed, the U.S. Agent may only be the first of many government-issued superheroes created to further their country's mysterious imperative.

How Sharon Carter Can Connect Thunderbolts And Armor Wars

Some theories suggest that Sharon Carter could be Armor Wars' main villain, potentially connecting War Machine's upcoming solo movie with Thunderbolts. Once a Disney+ series, Armor Wars has since been converted into a film, suggesting that the project will be of greater consequence than initially believed. The film's premise includes James Rhodes fighting against characters who have attained Tony Stark's technology, but its title indicates that the conflict will be much greater than a mere skirmish between an Avenger and a few rogue arms dealers. Instead, Armor Wars has the makings of a true war, which may see Rhodey uncover the United States government's shady dealings with the Power Broker.

Marvel has kept the story details of Armor Wars completely secret but has continued to emphasize its importance to the MCU. Sharon Carter's involvement in Thunderbolts and Armor Wars would firmly connect the two films and establish an intriguing plot thread throughout the Multiverse Saga that encompasses many of its previously unrelated projects. Suddenly, Phases 4, 5, and 6 inherit a subplot in which the U.S. government consolidates power for itself in the form of new superheroes, including super soldiers and suits fashioned after Iron Man. The Avengers would then be on the cusp of being replaced by a government-issued superhero team, set to make its debut in Thunderbolts.

Marvel Studios continues to bring the thunder as the MCU moves closer to its Phase 5 slate, which is currently set to end with the Thunderbolts team-up movie in July 2024. Taking a big group of Marvel's darker antiheroes and villains to throw them together into a major crossover event will be a new step forward for the MCU, with potential team members scattered all over.

With nearly two years until Thunderbolts releases in theaters, the story is still early in development under Black Widow writer Eric Pearson and director Jake Schreier. And with this new outing set to be the first crossover event that focuses on Marvel's bad guys, fan discussion is already running rampant on who could make up the roster and bring a unique dynamic to the MCU's take on the team.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Wyatt Russell shared his own hopes to be in the movie, seeing a place for the US Agent to return and show a new round of character development. And now, coming straight from the world premiere event for the MCU's latest release, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, that show's villain actress teased something even bigger that could bring pure insanity into the mix.

Jameela Jamil Teases Deadpool and Thunderbolts

Speaking with ComicBook, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law star Jameela Jamil touched on a potential team-up for the MCU's upcoming Thunderbolts movie, which releases on July 26, 2024.

When asked which character she thinks Titania would like to annoy, Jamil specifically expressed her love for Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool, saying that she wants "to drive Deadpool crazy" at some point during her Marvel tenure. 

Looking to other corners of the MCU, the actress sees a place for her in Thunderbolts, particularly with the way that her Titania has "pissed off most of the MCU:"

"Woah woah woah I said I would LIKE to. Come on now man. Don't get me into trouble with the Feige!

Will Thunderbolts Bring Titania and Deadpool Together?

Titania found herself in close proximity to the Thunderbolts on one big occasion in the comics from "Thunderbolts Vol. 1 144," in which Steve Rogers gets Luke Cage to assemble a new version of the Thunderbolts before other deadlier teams can form. Titania doesn't play a huge role in this story, but that isn't stopping Jameela Jamil from imagining an MCU version where she's a more prominent figure with the team.

As for her mention of Deadpool, he's quickly becoming one of the MCU's hot topics thanks to his transition from 20th Century Fox's movies, and it appears that his opportunities for inclusion in the MCU are endless. 

Wade Wilson has a slightly bigger history with the Thunderbolts, with two comic runs together in "Deadpool #9-10" and "Thunderbolts #129-131," and he's also had a couple of stories alongside Titania in other parts of the comic world. And with Reynolds rumored to become arguably one of the MCU's biggest players over the coming years, there's no question that he and Jamil could find their way into a project together at some point.

Of course, Deadpool 3 could still be some time away from its debut, although theories have pointed to this film coming in the MCU's open February 2024 slot ahead of Thunderbolts. Should that prove to be true, the stage would be set for this meeting to potentially take place in Thunderbolts, and who knows how wacky and wild things could get between the two after that?

Thunderbolts will release in theaters on July 26, 2024. Jameela Jamil will kick off her run in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Thursday, August 18, while Ryan Reynolds is in the early stages of training for his upcoming role in Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3.

After their respective announcements, both She-Hulk and Thunderbolts can lead the MCU towards a worthwhile adaptation of the Marvel Comics story arc "World War Hulk." On the one hand, there is a case to be made that it is too late for a World War Hulk MCU movie. In Thor: Ragnarok, the Marvel Cinematic Universe already succeeded in adapting Marvel Comics' "Planet Hulk" storyline, which was the setup to "World War Hulk." On the other, despite Bruce Banner seemingly being in full control of Hulk's powers and destructive nature, the events in She-Hulk suggest that World War Hulk can still happen on Earth-199999 (MCU).

Notably, She-Hulk seems to have much more control over her powers compared to when Banner first became Hulk. Not only is she stronger, she also doesn't have Hulk's split personality problem. The implication is that She-Hulk will somehow result in Banner being forced to confront and investigate his Hulk persona instead of just repressing it. This is the first time that the MCU has hinted at an actual explanation for why Banner was almost killed by using Tony Stark's Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers: Endgame, or how Hulk was nearly knocked out by the God of Thunder in Ragnarok's Thor vs Hulk fight. With both Hulk and Banner actively working against each other inside their shared mind, the Incredible Hulk might not be operating at 100% - at least not yet.

She-Hulk could have bypassed this problem because she gained gamma radiation powers differently, and Banner looking into these possibilities could allow the Hulk persona to resurface again - setting the stage for a World War Hulk MCU film. This is further supported by the fact that Thunderbolts is the final movie in the MCU Phase 5 slate. Thunderbolts is based on the seminal Marvel Comics antihero team-up of the same name, which first appeared in "Incredible Hulk #449," and at one point was led by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, also known as Red Hulk. Banner being somehow involved in Thunderbolts would not only pay homage to the passing of Thunderbolt Ross actor William Hurt, but also Ross' version of the team in Marvel Comics. In the MCU, this could all lead to the perfect future storyline for Bruce Banner, Marvel's biggest and baddest antihero - both in the comics and in the original MCU Avengers lineup.

How The MCU Can Set Up A World War Hulk Movie

As Banner tells his cousin Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk, "Jen, when you have powers like this, it's like putting a target on your back and the backs of all the people you care about." Indeed, Hulk decided to leave Earth after Avengers: Age of Ultron because Banner and Hulk could at least agree on one thing: his presence endangers everyone on the planet, for which Banner will always be targeted and vilified. Now, Banner seems fully in control of Hulk, able to repress any and all tendencies to suddenly transform into an Avengers-level threat. However, She-Hulk being seemingly stronger than Hulk and not having her cousin's split personality problems could prompt Banner to take another look at his and Hulk's relationship. This could allow the movies to tackle Hulk and Banner's personalities as deeply as in the comics, which essentially lays the groundwork for the World War Hulk MCU movie.

Banner and Hulk have always been at odds, but they also fully cooperated during "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk," during which the Hulk was capable of previously impossible feats like knocking out the Sentry or actually invading Earth. In the MCU, it's not out of the question for Banner to finally deduce that there is a corelation between the limits of his powers and how he treats Hulk. This could also explain why Banner was seriously hurt after using the MCU Infinity Stones, which technically radiate gamma energy, the same type of radiation that gave Bruce and She-Hulk their powers. After She-Hulk, Banner/Hulk could go into exile once more - only to return just in time for Thunderbolts, another key setup to the World War Hulk MCU film.

Will Thunderbolts Lead To World War Hulk?

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is currently the most likely character to become the leader of the Thunderbolts, and whether Bruce is on Earth or not, Val will undoubtedly be looking to recruit Marvel's original and most powerful antihero. Though this seems unlikely due to the Thunderbolts being composed of people like John Walker, Baron Zemo, the Abomination, and Val herself, this also provides the perfect mystery about what could possibly convince Banner to become part of this questionable lineup. Curiously, Val could use Yelena Belova - Black Widow's sister - to somehow leverage Banner's feelings about Natasha's sacrifice and recruit him into the MCU Thunderbolts cast. Being manipulated by the Thunderbolts for whatever purpose could be what finally forces Banner and Hulk to cooperate in order to prevent anyone from controlling them ever again.

Is Hulk's First Solo Movie In MCU Phase 7?

She-Hulk and Thunderbolts' World War Hulk MCU movie setup even lines up with the yet-unannounced 2026 projects for MCU Phase 7. After Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will need a much more complex villain than even Kang the Conqueror, a role that could be filled by a version of Bruce Banner that's more faithful to the comic books. Unfortunately for Banner, this could lead to the emergence of even more dangerous personalities like the Immortal Hulk a.k.a Devil Hulk, a spiteful beast that is extremely protective of Banner. Even worse, Banner/Hulk could get overtaken by Titan, a malicious monster with superior control over Hulk and She-Hulk's gamma-irradiated blood, including the ability to give Banner the strength and endurance of Hulk without the need to transform. Banner could soon become the most dangerous variant of himself, and whether his actions will be justified, World War Hulk is inevitable. "World War Hulk" is easily one of the most challenging comic book stories to adapt for either film or television, and the massive world-building required to pull it off in the MCU could be the reason why Ruffalo's Hulk is the only Avenger who is yet to have his own solo movie or series.