Thunderbolts* New Trailer Proves The MCU Is Back - Here's The 10 Biggest Reveals Broken Down

The new trailer for Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is incredibly exciting, featuring some major reveals as the MCU’s newest team comes together (whether they like it or not). Bringing together Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardians (David Harbor), U.S.Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), this new team will come together to face what looks to be one of the MCU’s biggest threats ever. As such, the epic trailer is well worth a breakdown.

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Confirmed by the brand-new Thunderbolts* trailer, the Avengers still haven’t reassembled in the wake of Endgame. As such, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has been making plans to fill the void left in their wake, and there’s no better time for the “Thunderbolts” to debut than to face Lewis Pullman’s The Sentry, one of the most powerful beings from the original comics. With that in mind, here’s our breakdown for the top 10 biggest reveals in the new Thunderbolts* trailer.

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10

The Avengers Still Haven’t Assembled

(Even After Brave New World)

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Thunderbolts* is set to be the MCU’s second major film release in 2025, preceding Fantastic Four: First Steps in July and after Captain America: Brave New World, which is set to hit theaters much sooner, on February 14th. Interestingly enough, Brave New World‘s trailers have seen US President Ross speaking with Sam Wilson’s Captain America about reforming the Avengers. However, it’s also been teased that Sam and Ross will have opposing ideas about how this new team of heroes might operate.

Regardless, the confirmation in this new Thunderbolts* trailer from Val that “The Avengers are not coming“ suggests that there still won’t be an official team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes by the events of this new MCU movie. This suggests that Ross and Sam won’t agree in Brave New World about a new Avengers roster, one that Ross likely wants to be sanctioned and under the control of the US government. That said, one would hope that Sam might start recruiting by the end of Brave New World, especially seeing as how the next two Avengers movies are right around the corner.

9

The Void Will Make Its MCU Debut Alongside Sentry

The Dark Manifestation of Bob’s Powers

Based on the first Thunderbolts* trailer, it was assumed that Lewis Pullman’s “Bob” was Robert Reynolds aka The Sentry. Essentially Marvel’s version of Superman wielding “the power of a million exploding suns,” The Sentry’s debut in the MCU is very exciting. However, it looks as though the darker manifestation of his powers and psyche known as The Void will serve as the movie’s big bad. In the new trailer, Sentry is shown only as a dark silhouette as a massive black shadow overtakes New York while he erases civilians and fights the Thunderbolts themselves.

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Hilariously, the trailer does feature Yelena commenting that this entire new team is mainly just “people who can punch and shoot”. Next to someone like the Sentry and all his power, it’s hard to imagine how they even stand a chance of stopping him, especially with the trailer essentially confirming that The Void will be the movie’s main threat. That said, The Void was originally dealt with by erasing Bob’s memories, so perhaps a similar tactic will be employed in the upcoming new MCU movie.

8

Val’s Plans Don’t Look Very Secret

She Wants To Replace The Avengers

Speaking at a hearing about how the American people need new protectors, Val’s plans to create a new team of operatives don’t seem as covert as some might have thought given her position as the Director of the CIA. Instead, it looks as though she fully intends to position the Thunderbolts as the next big team of heroes to replace the Avengers, despite their flaws, shortcomings, and darker pasts. That said, it’s very likely that the Thunderbolts will be the team Val has under the circumstances, rather than the team she would have preferred.

7

Bucky Barnes Is Working For Val

How Long Has He Been Working For The CIA?

Shown seated at the same hearing, there’s an implication that Bucky Barnes has been working for Val for quite some time. After all, she does seem like the kind of person who’d want to invest in his talent and his willingness to get his hands dirty. Just like with John Walker’s U.S.Agent, it does seem likely that Val hired Bucky as a CIA operative not long after the event of 2021’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

6

Bucky Brings The Thunderbolts Together (By Force)

Helping Him Stop The Sentry

In the first trailer for Thunderbolts*, Bucky is shown attacking the limo carrying Red Guardian, Yelena, Walker, and Ava Starr’s Ghost. Now, it’s implied in the second trailer that he was doing so for Val, having captured them to secure their help (presumably to stop The Sentry). With that in mind, it’s a pretty fun idea that this new team of heroes was very much roped together and had to be forced to become a team for the greater good.

5

Thunderbolts Mountain?

A Major Marvel Comics Location

A wide exterior shot shows a mountain in the desert with some kind of facility at the top. This is most likely the same facility where the Thunderbolts (and Bob) will meet for the first time as was shown in the first trailer. While it may be a prison to keep The Sentry/Void contained, it could also be a nod to Thunderbolts Mountain from the original Marvel Comics, the headquarters used by the original team. Either way, the new trailer further confirms that a far more impressive base of operations has already been taken care of thanks to Val.

4

Taskmaster Is Definitely Not Surviving The Opening Act

She’s Only Been Shown In One Scene…

Tragically, Taskmaster has yet to be featured in any shots or scenes outside what looks to be the movie’s opening act in this unknown facility. As such, this does carry the dark implication that Taskmaster likely won’t survive beyond the first act. She’s nowhere to be found in the rest of the group shots, especially during what looks to be the movie’s final act and showdown with The Void.

3

The Fate Of Avengers Tower Officially Confirmed

Owned And Remodeled By Val

It was basically confirmed in the first Thunderbolts* trailer that the big back skyscraper in New York was a remodeled Avengers Tower. However, the second trailer erases any doubt with a wide shot of New York featuring the original Avengers Tower surrounded by scaffolding and partially built black structures. Apparently purchased by Val, the theories about who bought Avengers Tower from Tony Stark nearly 8 years ago can finally be put to rest.

“It would be very exciting if “The Watchtower” was indeed the new name for the iconic building in the MCU…”

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This new look also creates a key parallel to The Sentry’s Watchtower in the original comics. An intimidating pointed black structure built on top of Stark Tower that served as Reynolds’ home and base of operations, The Watchtower was a fixture of the Marvel University’s New York skyline for quite some time (and at one point contained The Void). As a result, it would be very exciting if “The Watchtower” was indeed the new name for the iconic building in the MCU.

2

Thunderbolts Might Not Be The Final Name

Red Guardian Is The Only One Who Likes It

Hilariously, the only member of The Thunderbolts who actually likes the new team name is Red Guardian’s Alexei Shostakov. Eager to be seen as the hero he was always meant to be like Captain America, it makes sense that Alexei would like the name. However, the rest of the team’s distaste is likely the reason for the asterisk after the Thunderbolts movie title. While Thunderbolts will likely (begrudgingly) become the team’s official name, it’s also just as possible that a new name is being hidden until the movie is actually released and a “better” name is chosen by the movie’s end.

1

Red Guardian Has Big Hero Hopes For The Thunderbolts

Believing They Can Be A True Avengers Replacement

Trying to call his allies to heroic action at the end of the new Thunderbolts* trailer, it’s clear that Red Guardian is set to be a really fun member of the team. However, he’ll likely play a big role in keeping the team together, both during the movie and perhaps in its aftermath, assuming they all survive The Sentry. Red Guardian is clearly the most optimistic with his belief that they could all become heroes despite their flaws and dark pasts. As such, will be really exciting to see how this new roster evolves into an actual team of MCU heroes over time in the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* releases in theaters on May 2nd, 2025.

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