MCU: Thunderbolts (Dark Avengers)

The Thunderbolts are coming!

Mr. Silver
Cinemania
7 min readAug 7, 2021

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Marvel Comics

The Thunderbolts are coming! Before we go any further, it should be stated that there are *SPOILERS* for current Phase 4 Movies and series as well as very likely *SPOILERS* for what is to come in the MCU. As we look back on the first three phases of the MCU, we see two distinct and interwoven overarching plots. The main plot of course being the Infinity Saga and the B story of Civil War.

Now that we are moving into what I like to call the “Multiverse Saga” it is clear that Kang The Conqueror is to Thanos as the Multiverse is to the Infinity Stones. What most fans don’t seem to be focusing on as much however is this Saga’s B story. Some as well as myself have speculated that there may be a “Dark Avengers” team being assembled in the shadows of a post-snap MCU. This team already has a name and it is much better than the “Dark Avengers.”

Formed by Baron Zemo in the comics, the Thunderbolts were originally villains who attempted to take on more heroic identities in order to gain access to public resources. Although Zemo may obtain an invitation to the MCU’s version of the team it is quite clear that this version of the ensemble is being formed by Valentina Allegra De Fontaine aka Madame Hydra. Doing her best Nick Fury Impression, Valentina or Val as she likes to be called has popped up twice now at the time of the writing of this article and her third appearance is extremely likely to be right around the corner.

Marvel Studios / Marvel Comics

If the original release date of the Black Widow movie was kept to, Val’s debut would have come via the post-credits scene for the film. In this post-credit scene, we see Natasha Romanoff's sister Yelena visiting the very secluded tombstone of her now-deceased sibling following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Also “paying her respects’ ‘ is the Madam herself, Valentina. With a few quick lines of dialogue, they established a preexisting business acquaintanceship and Val offers a chance at revenge towards the person responsible for her sister’s death, revealing that the target for her rage should be none other than founding Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye.

Marvel Studios: Black Widow

From there we come to her next appearance and this time it is a cameo in the Disney+ Series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This time she is lending a hand to the short-lived and now disgraced Captain America, John Walker. Fontaine’s offer this time comes in the form of regaining the public affection and admiration Walker so desperately desires after failing his country. Dubbing him the U.S. Agent and equipping him with a new slick black suit, the Thunderbolts have just found their leader in the field.

Marvel Studios: The Falcon & The Winter Soldier

As resourceful and influential as Val may appear to be it is very understandable that she was absent during the events of Marvel’s other two Disney+ series WandaVision and Loki. Although we will revisit these two a little later. For now, let’s talk about the next of the potential Thunderbolt recruits and where she may show up next.

Traditionally, the team has always had its fair share of powerhouses and most notably this role is filled by Thunderbolt Ross aka the Red Hulk but unless our version of Ross in the MCU has a secret Thunderbolt Jr. we don’t know about I highly doubt we will be seeing the Red Hulk any time soon. Especially if you consider what they did to Bruce Banner and the Hulk's character already.

Instead, it is my theory that we have already been introduced to the heavy hitter of the team long ago, yet until now audiences have most likely forgotten about the character.

The third appearance by Valentina will be in Marvel’s next upcoming feature film Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings. While watching the official trailer for this movie I was so confused by the very last scene they showed us. The last thing they chose to show us was what appeared to be the Abomination cage fighting in some kind of underground fight club.

For those of you who do not know, The Abomination is one of the Hulk’s most iconic villains and was the main antagonist in the often forgotten Phase 1 Marvel film The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. The confusion stemmed from a question of “why?.” Why would they bring this character back? And why now? His inclusion in the film is so random yet specific. Then it dawned on me that however brief the Abominations comeback is in Shang-Chi, it will most likely lead to his recruitment. My guess is Val will be in attendance while the villain showcases his power in the ring, and with an extensive background check, will be able to offer him an opportunity to come face to face with the man whom he likely blames for his life as the Abomination.

Marvel Studios: Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings

It is worth mentioning that Sharon Carter aka the Power Broker is also in cahoots with Madam Hydra as well, however much like Zemo, it is unclear if they are working under her or acting more as partners. Zemo would fit the mold of Tony Stark doppelganger, considering the fact that he is extremely wealthy, highly intelligent, charismatic, and pretty arrogant.

Going back to the aforementioned Disney+ series WandaVision and Loki we have two more potential candidates for our MCU Thunderbolt roster. Starting with the more possible scenario, it is highly unlikely that Valentina is ignorant of the anomaly in Westview.

Pair that with the naïve decision by the Scarlet Witch to leave Agatha unattended, albeit under a spell, it is possible for Val to intercept Agatha and free her mind from Wanda’s control. As Thor taught us in the beginning, magic and science are one and the same in the MCU, and thanks to the Black Widow movie we now know that mind control can easily be broken with the right solution.

A solution that is in the hands of Yelena, who is now working for none other than Madame Hydra. That brings us to the lost soul Sylvie from the Loki Series. Much like in the case of the Avengers, Sylvie is not part of Valentina’s plan just like Thor was not in the plan for Nick Fury. It is a bit more of a stretch but it would be interesting to see if Sylvie may cross paths with the woman who seemingly has the offers of a lifetime. It isn’t too farfetched to consider being as though the Infinity Stones bright Thor to join the Avengers, the Multiverse could bring Sylvie to join the Thunderbolts.

Marvel Studios: WandaVision

I will be the first to admit that towards the end the theory is a little less fleshed out, however, the fact still remains that we are getting the Thunderbolts in the MCU in one form or another. But everything here should be taken with a grain of salt because only time will tell how wild these ideas may be.

It is very exciting to think that there could be a team to rival the Avengers. If Marvel wants to outdo themselves then a no holds barred showdown between these two teams would definitely contend with Captain America: Civil War. It is rare that we get to see our heroes go all out, and one of the most talked-about issues with the MCU version of Civil War is that the stakes were low because none of the characters really wanted to hurt one another.

This would fix that problem with ease and since a lot of these characters parallel the powers and capabilities of our current Avengers it will be enticing to witness how creative our heroes will have to be when matching up against their adversaries. Who else do you think Valentina will attempt to recruit? Will Kate Bishop be tempted? What about Spiderman and his gallery of rogues? It is great to experience this level of possibility in the MCU again as we build up to the future big team-up blockbusters!

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Cinemania
Cinemania

Published in Cinemania

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Mr. Silver
Mr. Silver

Written by Mr. Silver

I’m just a nerd with something to say. I hope you enjoy!