Thunderbolts* Writer Addresses Where Spider-Man, Daredevil And Other NYC Heroes Are During The Void's Attack

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*

Spider-Man, Daredevil, and other heroes are notably absent from the climactic battle against The Void in Thunderbolts*, and one of the film’s writers explained why. New York City has been through plenty of crises in the MCU. The Statue of Liberty was nearly destroyed during the final battle in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Mayor Wilson Fisk created a dangerous task force to crack down on vigilante behavior in Daredevil: Born Again. Thunderbolts* is the latest MCU film about a battle in New York, and this fight was almost apocalyptic.

In the film’s climax, The Void takes over Bob/Sentry and plunges New York City into darkness, sending hundreds or thousands of people into a black hole where they are forced to experience their worst traumas. The Thunderbolts are able to help Bob take control of The Void and save everyone, but New York still sustained some damage, and the danger was prominent enough to warrant other heroes showing up.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Thunderbolts* writer Eric Pearson kept his answer vague regarding the other heroes, but he also said time works differently in The Void.

I’m going to take the fifth on that one. I haven’t looked at the map closely enough of where it went. I’m not sure if it went to Bleecker Street yet. But I also think that the time of it is happening so much faster than you expect. That expansion and retraction of time is different. As we say in Thor: Ragnarok, ‘Time works real different around here.’ When you’re in the Void Space, who knows how long it’s been? Maybe it’s been one second.

What The Thunderbolts* Writer’s NYC Heroes Comment Means

One of the most common plot holes in the MCU is the absence of other heroes during mᴀssive events. For example, why didn’t any of the Avengers help Captain America take down Hydra when they were fighting over Washington D.C.? It’s a common question for many MCU projects, and it’s the same in Thunderbolts*. However, Pearson does make a good point for Thunderbolts*. The final battle occurs quickly when The Void emerges and sends New York City into darkness in a few minutes.

After that, it’s hard to know how long it lasted. Yelena and the others were in there for what seemed like 20 minutes, but that could seem different on the outside. Maybe they were in there for an hour or only a few seconds based on how time works in The Void. Either way, there may not have been enough time for other heroes to get involved. It’s also possible that the other heroes were consumed by The Void, and didn’t understand what happened. The Thunderbolts were the only characters aware of who The Void was and how to stop him.

Our Take On The Thunderbolts* Writer’s NYC Heroes Comment

Pearson’s comments don’t give an official answer to this question, but they do provide a possible explanation that seems logical. The Void is mysterious, and it’s entirely possible that other New York heroes, like Spider-Man or Daredevil, didn’t have enough time to join the fight. Also, The Void is a villain who is essentially invulnerable, so their involvement may not have made a difference. The Thunderbolts* were the heroes New York needed at that moment, and they succeeded in saving the day.