Marvel’s Thunderbolts trailer levels up the best parts of mid-tier MCU

Just like the early phases of Marvel Cinematic Universe turned B- and C-list heroes into the biggest stars on the planet, the next chapter of the mega-franchise intends to pluck side characters from passable movies and iffy TV shows for a team-up movie with high potential.

Marvel and Disney released a new extended trailer for Thunderbolts* on Saturday, after a debut at the emerging Brazil D23 convention, and it feels a bit like old times: chemistry, verve, and even a bit of color-graded polish we haven’t seen in an MCU movie since… maybe ever? If Deadpool & Wolverine made every self-referential punchline imaginable to get Marvel through a down year, next May’s tentpole could actually revitalize the ongoing saga.

Every character gets the spotlight in the new trailer, including Yelena Belova/White Widow (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, U.S. Agent/John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost/Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). Plus there’s Bob (Lewis Pullman)…. though it remains unclear if he’s friend or foe. Then there’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Nick Fury slot, bringing the zings and jabs.

The big shock is, despite most of the cast being pulled from Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, ventures that remain a total blur for so many reasons, the cast brings the rapport. And Stan has really evolved into the all-star badass of the MCU, huh? He goes full Terminator in a clip from the movie’s big desert chase. Fun!

Is it all just a well-cut trailer dropped at a time when a dash of old-school Marvel flavor goes a long way or will director Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank) deliver the goods? We’ll know when Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2, 2025.