Marvel’s Thunderbolts: Meet the Cast, Characters and Their MCU Backstories

Marvel’s Thunderbolts is all set to hit screens this week, and the hype is real. The film brings together a group of anti-heroes, misfits, and former villains. These aren’t your typical Avengers. This is a team that’s messy, dangerous, and forced to work together. As they prepare for a high-stakes mission under Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s leadership, let’s meet the full cast.

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh)

Trained in the Red Room, Yelena is a former Black Widow haunted by the loss of her sister, Natasha Romanoff. She's lethal, fiercely emotional, and unpredictable. After confronting Clint Barton in Hawkeye, she now steps up as one of the Thunderbolts' strongest players.

Red Guardian (David Harbour)

A relic of the Cold War, Alexei Shostakov is Russia’s answer to Captain America and the adoptive father of Yelena. Gruff, strong, and laced with dry humor, he’s a bruiser with something to prove and plenty of unfinished business.

Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan)

James "Bucky" Barnes is no stranger to redemption arcs. Once the brainwashed assassin of Hydra, he’s now on a personal mission to make things right. Battle-hardened and stoic, he brings experience and gravity to the team.

Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)

Antonia Dreykov, once a weapon of the Red Room, possesses the ability to mimic any combat style she sees. Freed from control in Black Widow, she’s now searching for identity and redemption—and finding a place among the Thunderbolts.

U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell)

John Walker was chosen to carry Steve Rogers’ shield—and failed spectacularly. Disgraced and dangerous, he’s been repurposed by Valentina as the U.S. Agent. He’s a wildcard: volatile, skilled, and still trying to define what heroism means to him.

Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)

Ava Starr can phase through walls and become invisible—powers gained through a quantum accident that nearly tore her apart. Now in better control, she returns with a new purpose, and a lot to prove.

The Sentry (Lewis Pullman)

Robert Reynolds consumed a serum that gave him unimaginable power. But it also unleashed The Void—his dark, destructive alter ego. He’s both the team’s greatest weapon and its greatest threat.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)

Cunning, calculating, and always one step ahead, Valentina is the architect of the Thunderbolts. But her motives remain unclear. Is she saving the world—or reshaping it for herself?

Thunderbolts releases May 2 worldwide, with an early May 1 release in India. With a darker tone, intense action, and complex characters, the film sets the stage for the next big phase of the MCU.

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