Thunderbolts: How well do you know the seven Marvel antiheroes who make up this infamous team?

It looks like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest offering - Thunderbolts*- is ticking all the right boxes for a blockbuster, thrilling both fans and critics worldwide. Putting a much-needed twist on the oversaturated superhero genre, Thunderbolts* brings together a ragtag bunch of troubled characters who team up to take on ruthless CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played menacingly by Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfuss.

This Marvel supervillain is on a mission to obliterate all evidence of her role in past black ops which involved members of the Thunderbolts*, and it is up to them to save each other. But how well do you know the dysfunctional bunch of antiheroes that appear in the film? Here are some vital deets!

Black Widow/Yelena Belova

Prominent powers: Trained assassin and spy

Played by: Florence Pugh

In the MCU, Yelena Belova is depicted as the younger sister of Natasha Romanoff (the original Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson), trained from childhood to be an assassin in the Russian Red Room. Her surrogate father is Red Guardian aka Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour). When Natasha died in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Yelena worked as an assassin for hire for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Florence Pugh reprises her character from 2021’s Black Widow in Thunderbolts. 

In the comics: Yelena’s character first appeared in 1999’s Inhumans #5.  

Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier

Prominent powers: Military and assassination expertise, cybernetic arm

Played by: Sebastian Stan

The best friend of Steve Rogers/Captain America, Bucky Barnes has had a rough ride through the MCU. His evil alter-ego, the Winter Soldier, emerged when he was brainwashed by science organization HYDRA in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and ended up committing some brutal crimes. However, Bucky broke free from HYDRA with Steve’s help and fought alongside the Avengers in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. In Thunderbolts*, he is an elected official to Congress. 

In the comics: Bucky Barnes made his first appearance in 1941’s Captain America Comics #1. 

Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov

Prominent powers: Superior strength, agility

Played by: David Harbour 

A Russian super-soldier, Red Guardian, during the events of 2021’s Black Widow, was languishing in an Eastern European prison before he was aided by Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova in his escape. 

In the comics: A vintage antihero, he first appeared as Alexei Shostakov in The Avengers #43, published in August 1967. 

Taskmaster

Prominent powers: Master martial artist 

Played by: Olga Kurylenko

General Dreykov, head of the Red Room, trains his daughter Antonia Dreykov to become Taskmaster and controls her mind. However she is given a chance at redemption when she’s freed from the Red Room in 2021’s Black Widow. 

In the comics: The original Taskmaster is Anthony “Tony” Masters, who Marvel.com describes as a “skilled tactician, adept at martial arts thanks to his photographic reflexes, and a career criminal who trains hench-thugs.”

U.S. Agent/John Walker

Prominent powers: Enhanced physical powers

Played by: Wyatt Russell

A military vet turned super soldier who dons Captain America’s shield for a brief period, Walker displays brutality when he kills a man (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, 2021), paving the way for supervillain Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to recruit him as a paid assassin. 

In the comics: He first appeared in Captain America #323 in 1986 as the character Super-Patriot. 

Ghost/Ava Starr

Prominent powers: Invisibility, intangibility

Played by: Hannah John-Kamen

An antagonist in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ghost gains powers after a quantum accident as a child, then joins S.H.I.E.L.D. as an assassin when she’s falsely promised a cure. She manages to gain stability through the power of quantum physics, thanks to Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). 

In the comics: The originally male character, described as a genius inventor with a battle suit that allows him to become invisible and intangible, first appeared in 1987’s Iron Man #219. 

Bob/The Sentry

Prominent powers: Superhuman strength, speed and intelligence 

Played by: Lewis Pullman

The Sentry makes his MCU debut in Thunderbolts*. Robert “Bob” Reynolds is better known as his superhero alter-ego The Sentry. The Sentry and The Void represent two conflicting facets of Bob’s psyche, with the ability to do both good and evil. Lewis Pullman, who is also making his MCU debut, told Marvel.com he initially suffered from “imposter syndrome” but was greatly helped by his cast mates. 

In the comics: The character first appeared in 2000’s The Sentry #1, where he shared a body with supervillain The Void. 

Here’s some bonus Thunderbolts trivia!

In the original comic books, the Thunderbolts team was first formed in 1997, appearing in The Incredible Hulk #449. 

Don’t miss it!

Thunderbolts is playing now across cinemas in the UAE.