As a seasoned Marvel enthusiast who has witnessed the rise and fall of countless heroes and villains, I must say that the Thunderbolts team, as introduced in the latest trailer, promises to be quite an intriguing mix. Among these new recruits, there’s one character that immediately catches my eye – Formier, or should I say, the Winter Soldier.
The upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Thunderbolts” promises to be formidable. It features Yelena Belova, who assumes the role previously held by Black Widow; her father Alexei Shostakov, also known as Red Guardian, the Soviet Union’s counterpart to Captain America; Ava Starr, formerly a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative known as Ghost, who left due to unfulfilled promises regarding her intangibility; John Walker, now recognized as U.S. Agent after being dismissed from Captain America duties following a killing; Antonia Dreykov, or Taskmaster, who can mimic the fighting styles of her adversaries; Sentry, also known as Bob Reynolds, whose power level is yet unknown but will likely be significant according to comics; Bucky Barnes, or the Winter Soldier, who leads the team and is a longtime friend of Steve Rogers; and lastly, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the head of the CIA and founder of the Thunderbolts, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss.
As a die-hard fan here, I can’t help but express my anticipation for the assembly of this peculiar group, the Thunderbolts. It’s not that they don’t have their merits individually; however, many of them have had stints as antagonists or adversaries in the past. Val seems to be banking on this very trait.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is an Italian countess, yet she prefers to be called Val for convenience, giving off a more American vibe. This, combined with the fact that she is portrayed by the well-known American actress Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, suggests a strong connection to American affairs and power structures.
In “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” she equips John Walker with a fresh black uniform and the moniker U.S. Agent, explaining that this title will prove more relevant than Captain America in light of the impending events. In “Black Widow,” she dispatches Yelena Belova to pursue Hawkeye, whom she alleges was responsible for the demise of Yelena’s adopted sister, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). And in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” as the current Director of the CIA, she takes Everett Ross, her former spouse, into custody for colluding with the Wakandans.
It’s evident that Val excels in utilizing power, whether it’s covertly as seen in John Walker and Yelena Belova situations or publicly, such as Everett Ross’ arrest. However, her raw power is relatively limited. In the comics, she’s a trained fighter within S.H.I.E.L.D., but in the MCU, she seems to excel more in controlling people rather than fighting. Consequently, while Val initiates the team, it’s unlikely that she’ll join them in combat.
Black Widow
Yelena Balova, who now bears the mantle of Black Widow following her sister Natasha Romanoff, exhibits exceptional combat skills. Trained as a spy and assassin by the Red Room – where both sisters were groomed – Yelena proves herself to be a formidable fighter compared to many others. Having shaken off the Red Room’s mental manipulation, she, alongside her adopted family (Natasha, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, and Melina Vostokoff played by Rachel Weisz) dismantled the organization completely, leaving it in ruins – quite literally, as the Red Room was an orbiting facility. This feat is detailed in “Black Widow,” after which Yelena, Alexei, and Melina embarked on a joint mission to rescue and rehabilitate other Black Widows who were under the Red Room’s control. Unfortunately, while engaged in this endeavor, the Snap occurred, reducing her and many others to dust.
Five years after returning from the Blip, Yelena found that Natasha was no longer there – she had passed away in the meantime. Tending to Natasha’s grave, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine approached with a request for Yelena to eliminate Clint Barton, who supposedly killed her sister. However, in “Hawkeye,” Clint disclosed that Natasha cherished Yelena and shared intimate details about their past together, information that only Natasha could have known. Recognizing that Natasha had given up her life for a higher cause, Yelena eventually decided to spare Clint. Despite being a formidable combatant capable of standing against many opponents, Yelena remains human and is thus the second least powerful member of the Thunderbolts.
Taskmaster
In the Marvel Comics lore, the character known as Taskmaster is a man named Anthony Masters, presumed to be from the Bronx, New York, who took up the profession of mercenary. This backstory sets him apart from his equivalent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, the daughter of General Dreykov, the head of the Red Room. The only similarity between them is their unique ability to mimic any fighter on earth. However, aside from this skill, they have distinct differences in their origins and character traits as portrayed in the MCU.
In “Black Widow,” we discover that although Antonia was born into a family that governed the Red Room, she was granted the opportunity to study in Budapest and live a relatively normal life until a fateful day when Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton attacked her father’s office. This incident left Antonia with physical scarring that her father found repulsive. To control her, he implanted a chip in her neck and subjected her to the Red Room program, where he exploited her talent for mimicry to make her his deadliest assassin. He equipped her with a suit to hide her face and dispatched her on the toughest missions. However, despite being a formidable fighter, Natasha ultimately manages to break Antonia free from her father’s mental control.
Nonetheless, Taskmaster possesses an advantage over the Black Widows, including Yelena, due to his skill in mimicking their combat techniques. This ability can significantly aid him in battles, though there is some dispute as to whether this skill qualifies him as having superpowers.
Red Guardian
Contrarily, Alexei Shostakov, who is popularly known as Red Guardian, is undeniably a superpowered character hailing from the Soviet Union. He was the very first and only super soldier produced by the USSR, making him a sort of counterpart to Captain America. However, it’s Steve Rogers who gained greater fame. In the film “Black Widow,” following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he was dispatched on a clandestine operation in the U.S., working alongside Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, posing as his children. The mission proved successful but led to him being imprisoned in Russia due to a disagreement with General Dreykov. This left him incarcerated for many years until Natasha and Yelena managed to free him. Subsequently, he joined forces with his adopted daughters and so-called wife to bring down Dreykov and the Red Room, reclaiming the Red Guardian suit after decades of absence.
Beyond his increased power and resilience, Alexei boasts superior endurance and nimbleness compared to most individuals. He employs these abilities strategically during combat, yet despite being an accomplished fighter, he must admit, age and a lack of physical fitness have taken their toll on him. For more than two decades, he was incarcerated with limited mental stimulation, often engaging in arm wrestling matches to assert his strength over fellow prisoners. He emerged victorious from every encounter, but given the circumstances, this isn’t particularly remarkable since none of his opponents were enhanced super soldiers or trained assassins. The absence of mental and physical challenges, coupled with significant weight gain, has left him less than an optimal example of a super soldier. Nevertheless, he can still overpower almost any adversary in a confrontation, albeit requiring more exertion than in his youth.
U.S. Agent
In essence, John Walker had always aspired to emulate Steve Rogers’ Captain America character, portrayed by Chris Evans, and believed he was successful in doing so. However, when Sam Wilson donated Cap’s shield to the Smithsonian in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the U.S. government bestowed upon Walker the role of their own Captain America. His impressive military record earned him this title, yet Rogers was an idealist while Walker is more human with flaws. He struggled under the weight of expectations and couldn’t get either Sam or Bucky Barnes to acknowledge his title as Captain America. This led to a growing instability within him, further escalated by his use of the Super Soldier Serum. His instability reached its peak when he killed a man with the shield after his friend, Lemar Hoskins, was murdered.
Despite having a dark past, Walker possesses commendable qualities. Rather than seeking revenge on the woman who killed his friend, he makes an unexpected choice – rescuing people in danger, specifically those trapped inside a police van. This act of compassion catches the attention of Wilson, the latest Captain America, before he leaves.
Prior to receiving the Super Soldier Serum, Walker was already an impressive combatant, faster and stronger than many others. Post-serum administration, his strength is virtually unparalleled by only a handful of individuals on Earth. Although he needs improvement in certain areas, it appears that he is striving to make amends for some past errors in judgment.
Winter Soldier
Civil War” when Helmut Zemo triggered it, causing Bucky to go into stasis while Shuri figured out how to eradicate HYDRA’s control permanently.
Independent of any external control and bearing a gleaming Vibranium prosthetic arm (having replaced his original limb years prior), he has collaborated with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson on numerous instances. Furthermore, he’s been granted clemency by the U.S. government and has striven to make amends for his actions as the Winter Soldier. Despite no longer being under mind control, his strength remains immense – abilities such as catching a shield in mid-air and outmatching Captain America in hand-to-hand combat were demonstrated in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Remarkably skilled in combat, his potential vulnerability lies within his mental state, which might be manipulated to prompt him to repent for his past wrongs by assuming the leadership role of the Thunderbolts.
Ghost
In Marvel’s comic book lore, Ghost is a character who challenges capitalist structures. However, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the character known as Ghost, named Ava Starr, doesn’t hold strong political or philosophical beliefs. Instead, she’s primarily driven by her desire to alleviate her persistent pain. Since childhood, Ava has been affected by a condition called “molecular imbalance,” which is essentially her cells constantly breaking down and reforming. This condition causes her great distress, but it also grants her extraordinary abilities, such as the capacity to pass through objects, a skill that proves beneficial in combat situations. Interestingly, she was enlisted by S.H.I.E.L.D. as an elite assassin, but she departed when she discovered they had no plans to treat her condition.
After discovering that she had only a few weeks left to live, Ava embarked on a mission to seize quantum energy from Janet Van Dyne, which ultimately labeled her as the antagonist in “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” Her objective was to harness the quantum energy, as Hank Pym had plans to rescue Janet from the Quantum Realm after three decades. However, this could have been fatal for Janet, leading Ant-Man and the Wasp to prevent Ava’s advance.
Sentry
In the “Thunderbolts” trailer, a character referred to as Bob appears frightened and unsure when confronted by the team’s weapons and abilities. However, it is later revealed that this individual, named Sentry in Marvel Comics, is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Although he hasn’t made his debut in the MCU yet, Sentry was first introduced in comics back in 2000 by writers Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee, and Rick Veitch through a five-issue miniseries titled “The Sentry.” In this series, it is explained that Bob gains superhero abilities, such as flight and invulnerability, after an encounter with a Super Soldier Serum experiment. His powers include molecular manipulation and much more.
Absolutely, Bob possesses a sinister aspect as well. The Void, unlike its portrayal in “Deadpool and Wolverine,” is an ominous entity, much like how Sentry is good. Reed Richards and Doctor Strange intervened to stop the Void by removing everyone’s memories of the Sentry, including Bob’s. While the Sentry continued his adventures in the comics, it remains uncertain how much of this backstory will be reflected in the MCU. However, if he retains a hint of his comic book counterpart’s powers, he would undoubtedly outshine all other Thunderbolts members significantly.
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2024-10-12 19:30