Thunderboltscould have been completely different, as theMarvel Cinematic Universemovie was once set to take place in a single location. Thecast ofThunderboltsincludes 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 forEternals,Thunderbolts*’s storyfocuses ontaking many established characters on a self-discovery journey.
Based on what we have seen of the movie in trailers so far, I thinkThunderbolts*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, withthe Void said to be more powerful than all the Avengers rolled into oneand the Thunderbolts having to save New York from him. However, the2025 MCU moviewas 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
MostThunderboltstrailers, 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 anotherand 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, withThunderbolts’s story being more expansive, with Sentry’s dark turn as the Void leading to a major Marvel event.
Speaking withGamesRadar+,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 byBlack Widowscreenwriter 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 originalThunderboltsstory would have made a lot of sense for the team. Based on thefirst reactions to Marvel’sThunderbolts, it seems thatmental 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 likeThunderboltswas 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,Thunderboltscould 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 whatThunderboltstaking place in a single location as was originally planned could have looked like, I’m okay with how Marvel Studios changed the film. Based onThunderbolts’s first reactions, mental health and self-discovery seem to continue to be key aspects of the film despiteThunderbolts*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.
Geraldine Viswanathan
Unconfirmed
I’m also okay withThunderbolts*’s story changing drastically from the first versions of it due to howSentry’s role was expanded. Bob was not meant to be part of the team in the original versions of the film. AsThunderbolts*’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 forThunderbolts*.
