Thunderbolts are go! The intriguing-sounding MCU team-up movie is bringing together heroes and villains from across the MCU, featuring Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost and Taskmaster. But even this collection of superpowered individuals faltered when faced with the ongoing WGA writers’ strike.
Late last month Marvel Studios confirmed that Thunderbolts wouldn’t begin shooting on schedule due to the strike and, with reports that the script was yet to be finalized, the future looked fairly bleak. Now there’s a ray of sunshine over the horizon, as producer Brian Chapek has confirmed that the shoot will begin in Utah later this summer:
Chapek went on to say that Utah’s “impressive geography” made it an ideal place to soon the movie, as it provided places that felt “untouched by the larger world”. Thunderbolts is a key part of the ongoing MCU story and should pick up where Captain America: Brave New World ends.
One key piece of connective tissue will be Harrison Ford’s President Thaddeus Ross. Ford is taking over the role from the sadly departed William Hurt, who died in March 2022. Formerly a general, Ross is now the President of the United States, though we’re quietly hopeful he’ll be able to squeeze in some Red Hulk action in between signing bills and greeting foreign dignitaries.
Once the shoot begins we should get a much better idea of how these disparate characters fit together, but with such a strange mix of characters from both sides of the moral divide we’re curious to see how they can possibly be a functioning team.
Thunderbolts will hit theaters on July 26, 2024.
