Thunderbolts* could have been completely different, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie was once set to take place in a single location. The cast of Thunderbolts* includes MCU fan-favorites, like Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova, as well as characters who could grow to be loved, such as Ghost, and newcomers to the franchise, with Lewis Pullman’s Bob, aka Sentry/The Void, being the most interesting of the bunch. Instead of having to introduce many characters at once, which caused problems for Eternals, Thunderbolts*‘s story focuses on taking many established characters on a self-discovery journey.

Based on what we have seen of the movie in trailers so far, I think Thunderbolts* has everything needed to be a major hit for the MCU. The humor and team dynamic of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies seems to be in play here, and the film’s scope is impressive, with the Void said to be more powerful than all the Avengers rolled into one and the Thunderbolts having to save New York from him. However, the 2025 MCU movie was originally going to be far more contained, and I would have loved to see it happen.

Thunderbolts* Was Almost A Movie About Breaking Out Of A Vault

The Storyline Continues To Be Part Of The MCU Movie

Most Thunderbolts* trailers, if not all, have shown scenes of when the team first meets. That happens in the same vault where Pullman’s Sentry makes his MCU debut as Bob. The Thunderbolts find out that they were sent there to kill one another and are presumably meant to be killed afterward. As such, the MCU movie should follow the characters attempting to escape the vault. However, that will only be part of the film, with Thunderbolts*‘s story being more expansive, with Sentry’s dark turn as the Void leading to a major Marvel event.

Speaking with GamesRadar+, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier revealed that the movie was initially set to take place entirely in the vault seen in the trailers. According to Schreier, one of the original versions of the MCU movie written by Black Widow screenwriter Eric Pearson was “all going to take place in this vault.” The Thunderbolts would have had to rely on each other to escape the vault, with the movie being contained to that single location, which is now part of a bigger whole in the finished MCU movie. Check out the full quote below:

“When [screenwriter] Eric Pearson came up with it with Brian Chapek, I think one of the original versions was kind of like a Die Hard thing. Or it was all going to take place in this vault, and getting out of it, which would have been a very cool thing. So I think in the DNA of the film, it was always a little bit more contained.”

Thunderbolts*’s Original Story Would Have Been Perfect To Establish The New MCU Team

A More Contained Movie Fits The Team’s Story And Headspace

I’m convinced that the original Thunderbolts* story would have made a lot of sense for the team. Based on the first reactions to Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, it seems that mental health and the characters’ search for meaning is a huge part of the film. I think that would work even better with a more contained story like Thunderbolts* was originally set to have than with the team having to stop a threat more powerful than the Avengers. By taking place in a single location like the vault, Thunderbolts* could have made the most out of its premise.

While the characters in the Thunderbolts have appeared before in the MCU, the movie is the first time many of them interact. By trapping them for the entire film in a vault, Marvel would have made it so the characters could slowly become a team, as they had no one to turn to other than themselves to escape. Being trapped does things to people, and it would have let the characters open up to one another. Thunderbolts* could still have had exciting action through booby traps and characters losing their cool in a stressful situation, fighting between themselves.

Why I’m Okay That Thunderbolts* Changed Its Story So Drastically

The MCU Movie Now Has A Much Bigger Scope

While I would have loved to see what Thunderbolts* taking place in a single location as was originally planned could have looked like, I’m okay with how Marvel Studios changed the film. Based on Thunderbolts*‘s first reactions, mental health and self-discovery seem to continue to be key aspects of the film despite Thunderbolts* having lost its more contained nature. The MCU movie being a character study of players defined as anti-heroes, thus not having a clearly defined place on either side of the superhero spectrum, is perfect, and I’m glad that remains the case despite the changes.

I’m also okay with Thunderbolts*‘s story changing drastically from the first versions of it due to how Sentry’s role was expanded. Bob was not meant to be part of the team in the original versions of the film. As Thunderbolts*‘s director, Jake Schreier, explained, “They were on parallel tracks.” Sentry is a complex hero. Not only is he extremely powerful, but there are multiple sides to the character, and Sentry’s dark persona, aka the Void, is perfect for an exploration of mental health like the MCU movie is going for. As such, the new scope should work for Thunderbolts*.

All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  Release Date

  
  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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