Marvel Studios has set the stage for a very thrilling cinematic experience with the upcoming release of Thunderbolts, slated to hit theaters on May 2, 2025. The studio recently shared a striking promotional video featurette on X and youtube called “The Jump”, capturing Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in a daring moment sitting on the edge of a towering skyscraper, the second tallest building in the world. Gazing down at a bustling city below. The post urges fans to secure their tickets early with the message: “Don’t miss Florence Pugh as Yelena in Marvel Studios’ #Thunderbolts* in theaters May 2. Get tickets now.” We see her jump off the building and in the end another scene of a level of a building being blown up.
Directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts promises to bring a fresh, gritty dynamic to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by assembling a team of antiheroes who are as flawed as they are formidable. The roster includes familiar faces like Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier), Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker (U.S. Agent). Described by Marvel as “the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits,” this unconventional squad is set to navigate a high-stakes mission that will test their ability to work together. According to the official synopsis, the film explores whether this dysfunctional group will “tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late.”
Florence Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova, the sharp-witted Russian assassin who first captured audiences’ hearts in 2021’s Black Widow. Yelena’s blend of humor, emotional depth, and lethal skills made her an instant fan favorite, and her return in Thunderbolts has sparked significant excitement. She had to obviously be fearless/courageous in order to accept the challenge of performing this amazing stunt. This defniely giving fans a real Tom Cruise vibe since he also does all of his stunts and they aren’t just simple ones either. This is not a simple stunt, things could have gone very wrong while filming this scene but thankfully everything went according to plan.
The Thunderbolts concept has deep roots in Marvel’s comic history, dating back to its debut in The Incredible Hulk #449 in 1997. Originally, the team was a clever ruse—a group of villains known as the Masters of Evil, posing as heroes to fill the void left by the Avengers. This shocking twist was a well-kept secret in the comics, designed to catch readers off guard. Over the years, the Thunderbolts evolved into a rotating roster of antiheroes and reformed criminals, including characters like Red Hulk, Deadpool, and the Punisher. The team often tackled morally complex missions, such as hunting down unregistered superhumans in the aftermath of the Civil War comic event, cementing their reputation as a group that operates in the gray areas of heroism.
The Thunderbolts* film will be the one to introduce The Void from Sentry. Played by Lewis Pullman fans will finally see this crazy foe that can just “delete” people with the palm of his hand. Given that the Thunderbolts* team is not made of a stack of top tier superhero’s with strong super abilities, it will be interesting how this group will try and take Sentry out. We can all see how this goes down on May 2, the release date.
