‘Thunderbolts’ rumor says Marvel’s Justice League is coming, and ‘Wakanda Forever’ might’ve shown us how

Thunderbolts is already about to introduce a new superhero team into the MCU, but it turns out there might be room for a whole other group of costumed vigilantes in the movie. According to a new rumor that’s doing the rounds among the Marvel fandom today, the ensemble anti-hero film could see the arrival of the Squadron Supreme in the franchise. How, you ask? Well, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may be able to provide some illumination.

First of all, for the uninitiated, the Squadron Supreme are Marvel’s shameless attempt to spoof the Justice League, with each of the team’s members mirroring their DC counterparts. For instance, Hyperion for Superman, Nighthawk for Batman, Power Princess for Wonder Woman, and Doctor Spectrum for Green Lantern. Various different interpretations of the Squadron, hailing from different realities, have appeared in the comics over the years, but it’s possible the MCU’s take may allow for links to the Black Panther films.

The modern version of the team rose to prominence after Phil Coulson sold his soul to Mephisto to create a reality where the Avengers didn’t exit (the MCU’s Coulson would never), leaving the Squadron as Earth’s primary protectors. While working for Thunderbolt Ross, it just so happens that they battled Namor and his Defenders of the Deep as well as Black Panther, who attempted to get the government goons on side but they rebuffed him.

This rumor started when insider KC Walsh posted an image of the Squadron Supreme on Twitter, clearly implying their MCU intro was imminent. This was then followed up by a picture of the Thunderbolts, apparently completing the puzzle. It’s all just hearsay at the moment, then, but if Marvel’s answer to the Justice League is on the horizon then it seems like a showdown with both the Talokanil and Shuri’s Black Panther could occur at some point.