Marvel Studios ‘Thunderbolts’ bolsters writing team with new addition

Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts is in active development. Marked as the penultimate film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five, Thunderbolts has a large and exciting ensemble assembled for what would become the first appearance of the eponymous team of anti-heroes from Marvel Comics. With names like Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the film is already the recipient of substantial hype. At D23 Expo last year, Kevin Feige unveiled the cast, announcing Jake Schreier as director, with the film’s script in development under screenwriter Eric Pearson’s leadership. Now, Marvel has leveled up the writing team with a new addition.

Lee Sung Jin, known for creating the upcoming Netflix comedy Beef is joining the team to rewrite the script and is potentially replacing Pearson, who previously co-wrote Black Widow and Thor: Ragnarok for Marvel. Jin comes on board at Jake Schreier’s recommendation, who has directed six episodes of Beef and executive-produced the show. Jin confirmed his involvement in Thunderbolts in a conversation with Variety while promoting Beef.

Confirming that he is rewriting the script for the feature film, he said,

“I’m rewriting it. It’s the whole squad again. Jake asked me if I would come on board. I probably should have taken a break, but there’s a lot of themes and exciting things about the movie that I couldn’t help but sign on.”

Jin has previously worked as a writer on television shows like Dave and Silicon Valley; however, Thunderbolts will be his first feature film credit as a screenwriter. Talking about reuniting with Jake, Jin added how he has been in active conversation with the director, understanding the scope of an MCU film, which is a huge deal for a writer’s feature film debut.

“It’s truly an honor to be part of a Marvel thing, but it is very different. One, it’s not my project; it’s Jake’s. It’s such a large scope and scale that the type of writing is very different. At the same time, the process feels the same. I’m still talking to Jake every day. … I think once you find the squad of people you love and trust and are so talented, you do everything you can to keep working with them.”

Thunderbolts will be a more significant Beef reunion as the film will reunite both Schreier and Jin with Steven Yeun, the latest addition to the film’s cast. The Academy Award-nominated actor stars as the lead in Jin’s show Beef alongside Ali Wong. However, Yeun’s role in the film is still unknown.

In Thunderbolts, an organized unit of anti-heroes led by the Winter Soldier carry out a government mission, possibly tackling an existential threat in their brutal, hard-hitting way. Thunderbolts is set to be release on July 26, 2024. Earlier, the film was to end Phase Five before Blade was pushed back to a September 6 release, which now acts as the final film of the Phase.