Director Jake Schreier reveals Thunderbolts*‘ unlikely Pixar inspiration, which may provide a hint at the MCU movie’s ending. The MCU’s Thunderbolts* cast is composed of various former villains and anti-heroes who form the MCU’s newest superhero team. Unlike their original comic book counterparts, the MCU’s Thunderbolts ᴀssemble against their will thanks to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Instead of trying to replace the Avengers, these Thunderbolts may want to redeem themselves and turn a new page in their MCU stories.

In an interview with Empire, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier reveals that he drew inspiration from Pixar’s Toy Story 3 to create the Thunderbolts’ team dynamics. Shcreier highlights Toy Story 3‘s emotional furnace sequence, which places all of the franchise’s main characters on an apparently certain path to death, which they all embrace peacefully. Jake Schreier’s Empire interview also compares Thunderbolts* to movies such as Reservoir Dogs, Ronin, and Mission: Impossible — all movies centered around high-stakes missions where the main characters face a certain death. Read Jake Schreier’s comments below:

“I had Toy Story 3 in there. It wasn’t as focused on a genre as much as dynamics amongst characters. They all have that dynamic of a team that is thrown together. That [furnace] sequence works so well because you’ve come to care about these characters so much. Can they get out of the trash can together?”

What Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Inspiration Means

The MCU’s Thunderbolts Develop A Family Bond While Facing An Unstoppable Threat

In Toy Story 3, Woody and his friends need to leave their differences aside and stick together after they get accidentally sent to the trash. Eventually, the gang end up in a garbage incinerator, and one by one they realize that there’s no escape. Giving up all hope, they hold hands and brace for death as they slowly descend into the furnace. Of course, Woody and company are ultimately saved by Andy’s alien toys, but Toy Story 3‘s furnace scene remains one of the most emotional scenes ever made by Pixar.

Like Andy’s toys in the Toy Story movies, the MCU’s Thunderbolts team is composed of a variety of characters with wildly different origins. Despite their differences, the Thunderbolts may learn to stay together through thick and thin. And similarly to Woody and his friends in Toy Story 3, the MCU’s Thunderbolts may forge such strong bonds that they may embrace an imminent death together, as a family.

Our Take On Marvel’s Thunderbolts* Movie Inspiration

The Thunderbolts May Have A Tiny Chance Of Surviving The Events Of Their Movie

Whether the whole Thunderbolts team makes it through the end of their movie unscathed is yet to be seen, though Taskmaster’s absence in much of Thunderbolts*‘ footage suggests Antonia Dreykov will die early on. Whatever the case, most or all of the Thunderbolts will likely survive until the end of the movie, where Bob’s transformation into Sentry will probably be the equivalent of Toy Story 3‘s furnace scene: an unstoppable threat that leads the protagonists to give up on all hope. Since Sentry must be stopped one way or another, however, Thunderbolts* may also have other characters arrive in the nick of time and neutralize Sentry.

Source: Empire

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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