Thunderbolts* Can Never Repeat The Comics’ Biggest Twist (But Will Need To Match It)

The MCU’s Thunderbolts* movie won’t be able to recreate the team’s best comic twist, so Marvel will have to find a new way to match it instead. The MCU’s Thunderbolts team will officially be introduced in 2025, featuring a handful of established MCU anti-heroes. The likes of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, and more will team up under the guidance of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to complete a mission for the American government. Though the Thunderbolts are new to the MCU timeline, the group has had a long run in the Marvel comics.

The Thunderbolts made brief appearances in other Marvel Comic series before appearing in their first solo issue in 1997. Created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, the Thunderbolts comic followed the team after the apparent death of the Avengers and Fantastic Four during the Heroes Reborn era. The Thunderbolts step up to fill the gap on Earth left by the heroes, only for a big surprise regarding their true identities to be revealed on the last page. It is an iconic plot twist, but it’ll be nearly impossible for Thunderbolts* to pull it off.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts Team Has Always Been Associated With Big Twists

The Thunderbolts Have One Of The Greatest Comic Book Twists

In the comics, the Thunderbolts have what is considered to be one of the best comic book plot twists of all time. The Avengers and Fantastic Four were cast into another universe and presumed dead by the public, so the Thunderbolts decided to step up to protect Earth in their absence. The team consisted of MACH-1, Techno, Atlas, Songbird, Meteorite, and their leader Citizen V, and they became the heroes that Earth needed. However, the last page of the first issue reveals that the Thunderbolts were actually the villain group Masters of Evil in disguise.

Citizen V was Baron Helmut Zemo, who reunited his old supervillain allies from the Masters of Evil to pose as a superhero team. Their plan was to win over the trust of the public and government so that they could build a position of power and gain access to the valuable secrets of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. It was an incredibly well-concealed surprise by Marvel as no information about the Thunderbolts’ true identity was ever leaked beforehand, making it one of Marvel Comics’ most shocking twists.

Thunderbolts* Can’t Possibly Repeat The Comic Book Twist

The MCU Thunderbolts’ Identities Are Already Exposed

Though the original Thunderbolts plot twist would make for an amazing on-screen adaptation, it will be mostly impossible for the MCU’s Thunderbolts* to do so. Besides Zemo, none of the comic’s original Thunderbolts members have appeared in the MCU, which is why the film is using characters that the audience already knows. Having an established cast of characters is a much better option than introducing a completely new team with unknown members, but it does make it impossible for the MCU to pull off the exact plot twist that put the Thunderbolts on the map.

Since fans have already seen the backstories of most of the Thunderbolts members, there is no way for Marvel to conceal their identities now and portray them as villains cosplaying heroes. The Thunderbolts have all appeared in previous MCU projects and ranged from villains to anti-heroes, so their identities as the bad guys are already common knowledge. While the film does treat the Thunderbolts like a hero group, each member is aware that they are not a hero in the traditional sense and that is the dynamic that connects them all.

How Will The MCU Honor The Thunderbolts “Shock Twist” Legacy?

Some Team Members Can Still Hide Their True Intentions

With the Thunderbolts name in the comics becoming synonymous with plot twists, the MCU needs to find a way to honor their legacy somehow. They may not be able to recreate the exact twist that popularized the comics, but there are still ways that the film could include surprises. Though some have been more well-received than others, Marvel has never shied away from including a shock twist in a project. With the diversity of characters in the Thunderbolts* cast, there is opportunity there.

The MCU has been pretty transparent with the Thunderbolts’ true identities so far, but the film can still put a twist on one of them. The team is sure to initially clash, so Marvel could have one of the characters hide their true intentions while working with the team. It could also be revealed that the American government is using the team for malicious intent under the guise that they were helping in some way, splitting up the members’ morals. Thunderbolts* won’t be able to repeat the comics’ biggest twist, but they still can pay homage to its legacy.

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