Thunderbolts Faces Sentry and Opens the Door to a New Team Led by Baron Zemo
The movie Thunderbolts promises an intense battle in which Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's team faces the threat of Sentry, played by Lewis Pullman. However, the trailers have hinted that this confrontation could have fatal consequences for the current Thunderbolts, opening the possibility of a new team formation led by Baron Zemo.
The Return of the Raft Prison and Its New Potential
In Captain America: Brave New World, the Raft prison is shown again, where Captain America visits Thaddeus Ross and Samuel Sterns. The reintroduction of this facility could be key to the MCU's future, as it represents an opportunity for Zemo to form his own team of anti-heroes within the prison, recruiting criminals with extraordinary abilities.
Zemo Has Already Demonstrated His Influence from the Raft
During the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Baron Zemo already demonstrated his ability to influence by ordering the elimination of the Flag Smashers from inside the Raft. If he was able to orchestrate such a move, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think he could recruit other villains and form his own version of the Thunderbolts, closer to the original comic book version.
Baron Zemo's Thunderbolts: More Faithful to the Comics
In the comics, the original Thunderbolts were created by Zemo as a front for the Masters of Evil, with the goal of replacing the Avengers. Over time, the team ended up redeeming themselves and accepting their role as heroes. If the MCU decides to take this path, we could see a more organic evolution of the team, with characters like Red Hulk and the Leader joining the cause.
A More Varied Team Than Valentina's Version
If Zemo manages to consolidate a new Thunderbolts team, it could be much more diverse in terms of skills and powers than Valentina's group. While the current lineup mainly includes super soldiers and stealth operatives, Zemo's version could feature genius scientists, strategists, and gamma-powered beings, offering a more dynamic group with greater narrative potential.
The Future of the Thunderbolts in the MCU
With Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts on the horizon, Marvel could opt to merge the different Thunderbolts lineups from the comics. This would allow combining elements of Zemo's team with the version led by Thaddeus Ross, creating the definitive MCU anti-heroes formation, with characters like Deadpool, Ghost Rider, Venom, Elektra, and Red Hulk.
The fate of the Thunderbolts in the MCU remains uncertain, but everything points to a team restructuring after their confrontation with Sentry. With the possible influence of Baron Zemo, the group could evolve into a version more faithful to the comics, including more varied and dangerous members. The question now is whether Marvel will seize this opportunity to introduce a truly iconic team of anti-heroes into its cinematic universe.