As a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan who has been relatively underwhelmed by some of the recent Marvel projects, I have not been feeling the usual hype for most of the upcoming Marvel movies. But the excitement I have for “Thunderbolts*” has me as excited as I was for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (which honestly is saying something). So, as we prepare to lose our minds in the Rutgers Cinema, let’s look at what we must watch to prepare for “Thunderbolts*.”
That being said, Marvel Movies are always written with new viewers in mind. You can go into any Marvel movie without knowledge of the previous movies and have an amazing time. But if you are interested in all the prereqs for this movie, here we go!
Most Important Projects
Black Widow – The 2021 movie (in my opinion, one of the best Marvel movies of all time) introduced critical characters that will return in “Thunderbolts*.” Specifically, Florence Pugh’s character Yelena Belova and David Harbor’s character Alexei Shostakov (also known as the Red Guardian). This movie also introduces Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), also known as the Taskmaster, who will be returning.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier – This six-episode Disney+ show contains critical backstory and character arcs for three of the movie’s major players. This includes introducing one of the six main characters of “Thunderbolts*,” John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and continuing the story of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Additionally, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who seems to be an essential character in upcoming Marvel projects, will be featured in this movie as the main characters’ recruiter.
Ant-Man and the Wasp – An often forgotten movie from 2018 introduces Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), also known as Ghost, who will be prominent in “Thunderbolts*.” Personally, I am glad that this movie, similarly to Endgame, links so heavily with “Ant-Man and the Wasp” because I seem to be one of the only people on earth who genuinely enjoy the Ant-Man trilogy.
Less Important but Still Helpful Projects
The Captain America Series- Since Bucky Barnes and John Walker will be featured in this movie, any Captain America movie can be helpful. I recommend “Captain America and The Winter Soldier” since that movie prominently features Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier. It also features Natasha Romanoff, who is Yelena Belova’s older sister. “Captain America Brave New World” is also a great choice as it deals with modern-day MCU plot lines.
Hawkeye – This Disney+ mini-series features Yelena Belova and establishes her connection with Valentina, which is very important for the upcoming plot. It also shows her character arc after the events of Endgame.
Any Avengers movie- Any movie with the word “Avengers” in the title will provide helpful insight into the MCU. The Avengers significantly influence the culture of all these movies, and there will always be references to the events and characters from those movies in Marvel projects. However, the backstory movies of Yelena Belova, Ava Starr, Alexei Shostakov, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, and the Taskmaster are much more important if you are on a time crunch.
“Thunderbolts*” will utilize some of the MCU’s most underused but fantastic characters. My excitement particularly pertains to the characters Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova since they are personal favorites. Overall, this movie is promising, and I have high hopes for May 2nd!