Who are the Thunderbolts? Everything you need to know about the team

Ash Walker • 08 May 2025 Features

“So we all just punch and shoot?”

Marvel’s latest super team has hit cinemas, and just like the Avengers it promises to bring together a group of disparate characters from previous films. 

But who, exactly, are the Thunderbolts? And why should anyone care about this ragtag bunch of washed up villains and antiheroes?

If you haven’t seen the film yet and want to know more about the team, read on to find out everything you need to know before heading to the movies.

Yelena Belova

Natasha Romanoff’s adoptive sister, Yelena was also trained from childhood in the Red Room and later became a Black Widow in her own right.

After being freed from Dreykov’s mind control, Yelena teamed up with her sister and surrogate parents - including Alexei Shostakov - to take down the Red Room once and for all. She even managed to land the killing blow on Dreykov himself.

Yelena spent a few years freeing the remaining Black Widows from Dreykov’s brainwashing, before being dusted by Thanos… and resurrected five years later.

On finding out that her sister was dead, Yelena hunted down Clint Barton - who she believed was responsible - intending to kill him in revenge. But Clint managed to convince Yelena that Natasha’s death was her own choice, and that she sacrificed herself to save the universe.

After that, Yelena disappeared into the night, presumably to continue her life as a shadowy assassin.

Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier

Steve Rogers’ best mate and eventual sidekick, Bucky was blown up and presumed killed during World War 2. In reality, he was scooped up by Hydra super scientists and turned into a brainwashed, robotic-armed super soldier.

Bucky spent the Cold War on ice, occasionally being defrosted and sent on covert assassination missions by his Hydra masters. But all of that changed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), when Bucky went up against his former bestie, himself defrosted in the present day, and started to regain his memories.

Still on the run - and framed for the murder of the Wakandan King - Bucky became the focal point of the Avengers’ civil war, and later part of Cap’s outlaw Avengers team. After a spot of Wakandan deprogramming, of course.

Then came Thanos, and Bucky spent five years as a cloud of dust, returning for the final battle in the ruins of the Avengers compound.

After saying goodbye to his best friend, who chose to travel back in time to live out his life with lost love Peggy Carter, Bucky became a bit aimless. Until he teamed up with Cap’s other friend - and inheritor of the shield - Sam Wilson to take down a team of super-powered terrorists, coming to terms with his chequered past in the process.

Since then, Bucky has apparently moved into the world of politics. According to a brief cameo in Captain America: Brave New World (2025), the Winter Soldier is running for congress!

John Walker, aka US Agent

A decorated Army Ranger, John Walker was chosen by the US Government to succeed Steve Rogers as the second Captain America. It didn’t go well.

Walker was insecure in his abilities and struggled under the pressure of living up to a legend, leading him to do reckless, dangerous things. Like taking an experimental super soldier serum, and murdering a surrendering enemy in public.

After this heinous act, Walker was stripped of his title and shield, and dishonourably discharged. In his most vulnerable moments, Walker was approached by mysterious spymaster Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and offered a chance at redemption.

He would continue to serve America, in secret, as US Agent.

Alexei Andreovitch Shostakov, aka Red Guardian

The Soviet Union’s first - and only - official super soldier, Red Guardian is essentially the Soviet answer to Captain America. Although he never enjoyed the same level of notoriety.

In the early ‘90s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Alexei was sent to America as a spy, to pose as the head of an ordinary American family along with a ‘wife’ and two surrogate daughters - Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova.

After completing their mission, Alexei returned to Russia, where he was eventually imprisoned for criticising the government. The closest thing Natasha and Yelena ever had to a father, the sisters freed him during Black Widow (2015) to aid in their fight against Dreykov and the Red Room.

Ava Starr, aka Ghost

Following a weird quantum accident - that also killed her parents - Ava Starr developed the ability to turn herself invisible and intangible. Now a young orphan, she was taken in by superspy agency SHIELD and trained to become a stealth operative, codenamed Ghost.

SHIELD promised Ava that they would develop a cure for her condition, which gave her uncanny powers but was also slowly killing her, in exchange for her service. But when SHIELD was dissolved, she was left in the lurch.

After facing off against Ant-Man, Ava’s condition was temporarily stabilised by a blast of quantum energy, and she went into hiding with her mentor, Bill Foster.

Antonia Dreykov, aka Taskmaster

Former enforcer to General Dreykov, the overseer of the Red Room program, Taskmaster’s mind and body were controlled by a computer chip, giving her the ability to mimic the fighting moves of any other person.

Essentially acting as a mindless, voiceless Terminator-like figure throughout Black Widow (2021), she was eventually revealed to be Dreykov’s own daughter, who was horribly injured during a failed attempt on his life.

After Dreykov was killed and her mind was freed, Taskmaster was left to rebuild her life. Or, at least, attempt to.

Bob

Marvel has been pretty secretive about this character - making his MCU debut in Thunderbolts* - revealing very little beyond his name. But comic fans have been quick to point out some striking similarities to a very interesting character…

Robert Reynolds, aka the Sentry, is essentially Marvel’s fractured take on Superman. He’s a hero with ‘the power of a million exploding suns’, but all of that power comes with a downside.

Robert’s mind has been split into two distinct personalities: the Sentry, a beacon of light and hope, and the Void, a monstrous, reality-warping entity of pure evil.

Will the Void be the ultimate villain that the Thunderbolts will have to face? Judging by the latest trailers, it seems likely. Although just how this bunch of scrappy anti-heroes will be able to overcome a being with dark, godlike powers remains to be seen…

Find out how the gang fares in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, which is in theatres now. And don’t forget - you can get two free cinema tickets, every month, with any Sky Cinema subscription.