History of Thunderbolts* in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: November 10, 2024

"Thunderbolts" is a forthcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film focusing on a team of antiheroes tasked with government missions. Directed by Jake Schreier, the movie boasts a star-studded cast, including David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko, and Florence Pugh. As the 36th installment in the MCU, "Thunderbolts" is poised to expand the franchise's narrative in an intriguing direction.

2014: James Gunn Expresses Interest in "Thunderbolts" Film

During the production of "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014), director James Gunn expressed interest in a film based on the Marvel Comics team the Thunderbolts.

2016: Daniel Brühl Appears as Helmut Zemo

Speculation that a Thunderbolts team would be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began in mid-2019 following the announcement that Daniel Brühl would appear as Helmut Zemo in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021), reprising his role from "Captain America: Civil War" (2016).

June 2018: Hannah John-Kamen Expresses Interest in "Thunderbolts"

In June 2018, Hannah John-Kamen expressed enthusiasm for reprising her "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) role of Ava Starr / Ghost in a Thunderbolts film (the comics version of Ghost was a member of the team).

2019: Sanja Milkovic Hays Joins as Costume Designer

Sanja Milkovic Hays served as the costume designer after previously working on "Captain Marvel" (2019) and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021).

2019: Speculation Begins for "Thunderbolts" Team

2021: Marvel Studios Begins Teasing "Thunderbolts"

Marvel Studios began teasing the formation of a Thunderbolts team within the MCU in 2021.

2021: James Gunn No Longer Interested in Directing

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said a "Thunderbolts" film was a possibility based on the success of "Guardians of the Galaxy," but Gunn was no longer interested in 2021, after directing "The Suicide Squad" (2021), because that team from DC Comics is a similar concept to the Thunderbolts.

2021: Sanja Milkovic Hays Joins as Costume Designer

Sanja Milkovic Hays served as the costume designer after previously working on "Captain Marvel" (2019) and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021).

2021: "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Fuels Speculation

That series introduced Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and shows her recruiting Wyatt Russell's John Walker / U.S. Agent. De Fontaine is also shown to be working with Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova in the film "Black Widow" (2021). Commentators speculated that she was recruiting a team of villains or anti-heroes like the Thunderbolts, and some felt that team could appear in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021).

June 2022: Jake Schreier Hired to Direct "Thunderbolts"

By June 2022, Jake Schreier was attached to direct "Thunderbolts," from a screenplay by Eric Pearson, with Feige producing. Schreier was hired after a presentation that "blew away" Marvel Studios executives.

June 2022: Thunderbolts Film Announcement

In June 2022, it was announced that Jake Schreier would direct "Thunderbolts," written by Eric Pearson, with Kevin Feige producing.

September 2022: Cast Members Revealed for "Thunderbolts"

In September 2022, Justin Kroll of Deadline Hollywood described the film as being a spin-off for Belova because she was expected to lead the anti-hero team, with Pugh, Russell, and Brühl believed to be reprising their roles. At the D23 Expo the same month, Pugh, Russell, John-Kamen, and Louis-Dreyfus were confirmed to star, alongside Sebastian Stan as Barnes, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster, all reprising their roles from previous MCU projects.

January 2023: Filming Expected to Begin

Louis-Dreyfus stated in January 2023 that filming would begin that June, and Ayo Edebiri joined the cast in an undisclosed role.

March 2023: Lee Sung Jin Joins as Writer

By March 2023, Lee Sung Jin joined the film to rewrite the script at Schreier's request. He was working closely with Schreier on the script and noted that, unlike "Beef," "Thunderbolts" was Schreier's project and had different writing needs.

June 2023: Thunderbolts Filming Planned, Impacted by Strikes

Initially slated to begin in June 2023, filming for Thunderbolts was intended to last for six months. However, it ultimately faced delays due to both the writers' strike and the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strike.

November 2023: SAG-AFTRA Strike Impacts Thunderbolts Release

As the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike reached its conclusion in November 2023, the release date of Thunderbolts faced another setback, signaling the strike's impact on the film's production.

2023: Harrison Ford Considered for Thaddeus Ross

At the end of September 2022, Jeff Sneider of Above the Line reported that Harrison Ford was Marvel Studios' top choice to replace Hurt as Ross, and Marvel planned to announce his casting at D23 before Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy asked them not to because she felt it would detract from their promotion of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (2023).

February 26, 2024: Thunderbolts Commences Principal Photography

Principal photography for Thunderbolts commenced on February 26, 2024, taking place at Trilith Studios and Atlanta Metro Studios in Atlanta.

March 2024: Pugh Unveils New Black Widow Costume and Thunderbolts* Logo

March 2024 saw Florence Pugh, in collaboration with Marvel Studios, release a behind-the-scenes video showcasing her new Black Widow costume and an updated logo for Thunderbolts*, featuring the asterisk.

April 2024: Russell Hints at Thunderbolts Filming Start

In April 2024, David Harbour, cast in Thunderbolts, indicated that filming would commence "in March or April 2024," offering a glimpse into the production timeline.

June 12, 2024: Thunderbolts Filming in Utah

From May 29 to June 12, 2024, filming for Thunderbolts unfolded in Emery County and Grand County, Utah.

June 2024: "Thunderbolts" Wraps Filming

Filming took place from February to June 2024 at Trilith Studios and Atlanta Metro Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional filming in Utah.

July 2024: Conflicting Reports on Harrison Ford's Involvement

Further conflicting reports emerged in July 2024 when Entertainment Weekly's Sydney Bucksbaum and Christian Holub, and Esquire's Josh Rosenberg commented that Feige's remarks at San Diego Comic-Con may have indicated that Ford would not be appearing in "Thunderbolts."

July 26, 2024: Initial Release Date for "Thunderbolts"

The film was officially announced in July at San Diego Comic-Con, with an original release date of July 26, 2024. It was set to be the last film in Phase Five of the MCU.

September 2024: Johansson Joins Thunderbolts as Executive Producer

In September 2024, Scarlett Johansson, known for her role as Black Widow in the MCU, joined the Thunderbolts team as an executive producer.

September 23, 2024: Thunderbolts Teaser Trailer Released

A significant event unfolded on September 23, 2024, with the official release of the teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts.

December 20, 2024: Thunderbolts Release Date Pushed Back

On December 20, 2024, the release date for Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts was pushed back, marking one of several adjustments to the film's schedule.

May 2, 2025: "Thunderbolts" Scheduled Release Date

"Thunderbolts*" is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 2, 2025, as the last film of Phase Five of the MCU.

May 5, 2025: Thunderbolts* Title Confirmed, Release Date Adjusted

May 5, 2025 marked the date when Kevin Feige confirmed "Thunderbolts*" as the official title, with the asterisk's significance to be revealed post-release. The release date was also adjusted to this day, though later shifted to May 2, 2025.

July 25, 2025: Thunderbolts Release Date Further Delayed, Yeun Cast as Sentry

The release of Thunderbolts was again postponed, this time to July 25, 2025. Following this announcement, comic book writer Robert Kirkman shared that Steven Yeun had been cast as Sentry.

2025: Harrison Ford Cast in "Captain America: Brave New World"

In mid-October 2022, Sneider reported that Ford had been cast as Ross and would first appear in "Captain America: Brave New World" (2025). The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Ford's casting in "Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts" shortly after, however, Variety later reported that Ford's involvement would be limited to "Brave New World."