There are several past MCU movies and TV shows you might want to rewatch before Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2, 2025, as part of Phase 5. In recent months, anticipation has been rising for Thunderbolts*, the first crossover event of the Multiverse Saga that will bring together a new team of superpowered individuals who are brought together in the Avengers’ absence. The Thunderbolts have a rich Marvel Comics history, so their debut in the MCU is exciting, even though the team will be very different from its comic counterparts.

As the MCU’s first major crossover event since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Thunderbolts* is set to feature several returning characters from Marvel’s history. This means that there are a number of past movies and TV shows that need to be watched to better understand the narrative and character progression in Thunderbolts*. Jake Schreier’s directorial debut in the MCU will pay homage to some of the franchise’s most thrilling and intense stories and characters, dating all the way back to Phase 1, which means you might want to do some homework before Thunderbolts* releases on May 2.

12

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Bucky Barnes Debuted In The MCU In Captain America: The First Avenger

Sebastian Stan was confirmed to be reprising the role of James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes in Thunderbolts* during the initial cast announcement in 2022, so it would be worth looking back at Bucky Barnes’ entire MCU history. Bucky has been through some monumental changes since his debut in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. In the historical Phase 1 movie, Bucky debuted as Steve Rogers’ childhood best friend and a member of the Howling Commandos alongside Captain America during World War II, which makes him one of the MCU’s oldest characters.

Bucky Barnes would never have become the Winter Soldier had it not been for the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, as he fell from a train and was captured by HYDRA scientist Arnim Zola in the Phase 1 movie. Zola’s experiments transformed Bucky into a super-soldier, which allowed him to survive to the present day, kick-starting his hero-to-villain-to-hero journey that will culminate in him becoming the de facto leader of the Thunderbolts. Bucky’s experience alongside Captain America in The First Avenger will make him the perfect Thunderbolts leader in 2025.

11

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Reintroduced Bucky Barnes As A Formidable Villain

While Captain America: The First Avenger introduced Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes to the MCU, it was 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier that revealed him to have been transformed into the villainous Winter Soldier. This elite HYDRA operative was enhanced with a super-soldier serum and brainwashed by the nefarious organization to become the world’s most infamous ᴀssᴀssin. Bucky targeted Steve Rogers and his friends in The Winter Soldier, but coming face-to-face with his childhood friend started to break HYDRA’s spell over him.

Marvel Studios’ best espionage thriller did a fantastic job at developing Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier, but also saw him start to recover his own personality. He saved Steve Rogers at the end of the movie, and was seen learning about his own life at the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian, which started him on his journey to rediscovering Bucky Barnes and eventually to becoming a Thunderbolt. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the first MCU project that made Bucky Barnes something of a main character, so it’s essential viewing before he returns in Thunderbolts*.

10

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The Winter Soldier’s Redemption Arc Started In Captain America: Civil War

A brief cameo at the end of 2015’s Ant-Man teased Bucky Barnes’ major return in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Bucky became a pawn of Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo in Civil War, as he was framed for the bombing of the United Nations and the murder of King T’Chaka, which allowed Zemo to use Bucky’s HYDRA conditioning to aim him at his Avenger friends. Captain America: Civil War isn’t only important to watch before Thunderbolts* because of Bucky Barnes’ prominence, however, but this crossover movie also explains the Avengers’ current absence.

Zemo used Steve Rogers’ allegiance to Bucky Barnes in Captain America: Civil War to drive a wedge between the Avengers, as it was revealed that Bucky had killed Tony Stark’s parents while operating as the Winter Soldier. This ultimately meant the Avengers had disbanded by the time of Infinity War, and while they briefly reformed in Endgame, the impact of Civil War means the Avengers still aren’t operating now. This creates the void that the Thunderbolts will fill in the MCU’s Phase 5, so Civil War provides some important backstory for both Bucky Barnes’ evolution and the Thunderbolts’ formation.

9

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Avengers Tower Was Sold To Valentina In Spider-Man: Homecoming

At first glance, the connection between 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thunderbolts* may not be clear, but the latter will finally be answering one of the MCU’s biggest mysteries that began in the former. During Homecoming, Michael Keaton’s Vulture targeted a plane carrying Avengers cargo out of Avengers Tower to the team’s new facility in Upstate New York, as Tony Stark sold the team’s Manhattan base of operations. It took eight years after Homecoming for Marvel Studios to answer who bought Avengers Tower, as Thunderbolts*’ trailers have confirmed its new owner to be Valentina.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine might have only debuted in the MCU in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but it seems she has been influencing events behind the scenes for much longer. Valentina is a woman of incredible power and influence in the MCU, and her takeover of the former Avengers Tower is just one example of this. She has transformed the landmark into the MCU’s Watchtower, the Sentry’s base of operations in Marvel Comics, so while Homecoming might not be essential viewing, it provides important backstory for the MCU’s newest villain.

8

Black Panther (2018)

Bucky Barnes Recovered In Wakanda At The End Of Black Panther

Similarly to Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2018’s Black Panther doesn’t have much impact on the upcoming storyline of Thunderbolts*. However, since Bucky Barnes will have a prominent role in the Phase 5 crossover, it’s important to note that he makes a brief cameo appearance in the post-credits scene of 2018’s Black Panther. This cameo followed on from the end of Captain America: Civil War, in which Bucky Barnes was given refuge in Wakanda, though Black Panther saw him as a recovered man, free from HYDRA’s conditioning that had turned him into the Winter Soldier.

Bucky Barnes’ cameo in Black Panther was explained more in a flashback in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as it was Dora Milaje member Ayo who helped him break free of HYDRA’s brainwashing. Black Panther’s post-credits scene marked the first mention of Bucky Barnes ᴀssuming the White Wolf moniker. He hasn’t quite embraced this role yet, but this could all change in Thunderbolts*, especially if he wants to rid himself of his Winter Soldier legacy completely. Bucky Barnes becoming the White Wolf would be a fantastic way to finally seek full redemption.

7

Ant-Man & The Wasp (2018)

Ghost Debuted In The MCU In Ant-Man & The Wasp

Bucky Barnes is not the only returning MCU antagonist set to feature as a member of the Thunderbolts team, but he will be joined by at least five other characters. It wasn’t until 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp that the next one debuted in the MCU, however, as the sequel to Peyton Reed’s original 2015 movie introduced Hannah John-Kamen to the MCU as Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost. After being blasted with quantum energy as a young girl, Ava Starr’s molecules became dislodged, and she hoped to steal quantum power from Janet van Dyne to stabilize herself.

This would have killed Janet, but Ava Starr thought this to be a necessary sacrifice to save herself. However, she saw the error of her ways when Janet returned from the Quantum Realm safely and used her new (and now ignored) gifts to stabilize Ava Starr’s phasing. Luckily, this kept her quantum powers intact, but just enabled her to control them, which means that John-Kamen can return as Ghost in Thunderbolts*. She was previously a villain out of self-interest, but it will be great to see her step into a more heroic role in the MCU’s Phase 5.

6

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The Impact Of Natasha Romanoff’s Endgame Death Will Be Felt In Thunderbolts*

Of course, Avengers: Infinity War needs to be watched to understand Avengers: Endgame, but it’s the 2019 movie that is essential viewing ahead of Thunderbolts*. Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff might not be involved on-camera in Thunderbolts*, but the legacy her character leaves behind will play a central role in the development of several of Thunderbolts*’ characters. Black Widow’s death in Avengers: Endgame will inform the actions of Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov’s Red Guardian and Antonia Dreykov’s Taskmaster in Thunderbolts*​​​​​​​, so it will be important to remind yourself of this emotional moment.

Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself on Vormir so that Clint Barton could take the Soul Stone back to the Avengers, allowing them to reverse the devastation caused by Thanos five years earlier. Yelena Belova’s reaction to her surrogate sister’s death has already been explored in Black Widow and Hawkeye, but we haven’t seen Red Guardian’s reaction as Romanoff’s father figure, nor Dreykov’s reaction as the woman that Romanoff saved. Black Widow’s death will surely be a huge talking point in Thunderbolts*, cementing it as one of the most important events in the MCU’s entire timeline.

5

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier (2021)

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier Introduced Valentina & US Agent To The MCU

In the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios started to actively plant the seeds for Thunderbolts*, and this really kicked off in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series on Disney+. Not only did this advance the narrative for Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, explaining more of his redemption arc and turning him into something of a bona fide hero, but The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also debuted Wyatt Russell as John Walker, who will be another prominent Thunderbolts member. Walker was at first the new Captain America, but later evolved into the US Agent.

John Walker’s rebranding as the US Agent was at the behest of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who also made her MCU debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s unclear what role exactly Valentina will have in bringing the Thunderbolts together, but her creation of the US Agent could perhaps hint at her creation and rebranding of other notable characters, perhaps even Lewis Pullman’s Sentry. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier lay some key foundations for Thunderbolts*, so viewers would benefit from reminding themselves about the series’ events before May 2.

4

Black Widow (2021)

Yelena Belova Debuted As Natasha Romanoff’s Replacement In Black Widow

2021’s Black Widow introduced Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Olga Kurylenko to the MCU as Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov and Antonia Dreykov, respectively, all of whom will return in Thunderbolts*. Belova was Natasha Romanoff’s sister figure as children in Ohio, when both were being raised by Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff and Alexei, all spies working for the Red Room. Although not related by blood, these individuals were Natasha Romanoff’s family, and the Avenger’s legacy will continue through them in 2025’s Thunderbolts*​​​​​​​.

The reunion between Romanoff, Belova, Shostakov and Vostokoff in Black Widow was entertaining and, at times, hilarious. This will likely be repeated with Yelena and the Red Guardian meeting again in Thunderbolts*, while there has also been speculation that Rachel Weisz could reprise her Black Widow role. Olga Kurylenko’s appearance as Taskmaster in Thunderbolts* has been the subject of doubt, however, as Antonia Dreykov hasn’t featured in much of the movie’s promotional material. Nevertheless, Black Widow is one of the most important projects viewers should catch up on before Thunderbolts*​​​​​​​.

3

Hawkeye (2021)

Yelena Belova Learned The Truth About Her Sister’s Death In Hawkeye

Black Widow ended with a post-credits scene that saw Yelena Belova head to her sister’s grave where she was interrupted by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. This scene seemed to tease Yelena already being under the employ of Valentina, as the latter suggested that Clint Barton had killed Natasha Romanoff, and sent Yelena to seek revenge for her sister’s death. This came to a head in Hawkeye episode 4, “Partners, Am I Right?” and the series finale, “So This Is Christmas?” Clint Barton revealed the truth to Yelena in Hawkeye, that Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself.

Beyond this, Hawkeye also revealed that Yelena Belova was snapped away by Thanos during her quest to free other Black Widow ᴀssᴀssins from General Dreykov’s mind control. Hawkeye revealing the truth about Natasha Romanoff’s death might have caused Yelena to doubt Valentina, as she targeted her at Clint Barton to begin with. This could prove important to Thunderbolts*, while Yelena’s feelings of loss during Thunderbolts*’ trailers may have been caused by her severing ties with Valentina, learning the truth of Romanoff’s death and becoming friends with Kate Bishop.

2

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Revealed Valentina To Be The Director Of The CIA

Similarly to its 2018 predecessor, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever doesn’t have much of an impact on the narrative of Thunderbolts*, but there is one huge character reveal in the movie that means it should be rewatched before the Phase 5 crossover. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine returned in Wakanda Forever, where she was not only revealed to be Everett Ross’ ex-wife, but also the Director of the CIA in the MCU. This was a huge development for Valentina prior to Thunderbolts*, and suggests something wild for the тιтular team’s formation.

While the Avengers formed under the watchful eye of Nick Fury and SHIELD, the Thunderbolts will seemingly be formed by the United States government, working directly for the CIA. This is a major development for the MCU, as this will be the first government-funded superhero team, which could bring some of Steve Rogers’ worst fears from Captain America: Civil War to life. What the CIA actually wants with these superpowered characters is yet to be revealed, but Valentina’s position will no doubt be important to Thunderbolts*’ narrative.

1

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

Bucky Barnes Was Running For Congress In Captain America: Brave New World

2025’s Captain America: Brave New World is the first Captain America movie to feature Sam Wilson as the Star-Spangled-Man, following on from his transformation into Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Continuing the story of the Phase 4 series, it was great to also see Sebastian Stan return for a cameo in Brave New World. Bucky met with Sam Wilson after Joaquín Torres was injured at Celestial Island to offer him valuable advice, and the pair even proclaimed their love for each other in a beautiful moment, but this wasn’t the most important plot point.

Captain America: Brave New World revealed that Bucky Barnes was running for Congress in the MCU. This seems to come to fruition in Thunderbolts*, as Bucky may actually be a Congressman, though there is also speculation that his time in office won’t last very long. Given his history as the world’s most infamous ᴀssᴀssin and a HYDRA super-soldier, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Bucky to not remain in office. Nevertheless, it was fantastic to see Captain America: Brave New World set up Thunderbolts*, and hopefully the Phase 5 movie continues to develop Bucky and Sam Wilson’s bond.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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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

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  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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