New Thunderbolts trailer sees the MCU's most beloved antiheroes step in for the Avengers and save the world

Thunderbolts
(Image credit: Marvel)
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* | Big Game Trailer | In Theaters May 2 - YouTube Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* | Big Game Trailer | In Theaters May 2 - YouTube
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Fresh off the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer earlier this week, Marvel has also unveiled a new look at Thunderbolts*.

We've seen a couple of first looks at the Marvel Phase 5 movie already, but this one is the most action-packed yet. The trailer, released at the 2025 Super Bowl, can be watched above - and it looks like the MCU's most beloved antiheroes are stepping in for the Avengers.

In the brief clip, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine tells a courtroom that the Avengers "aren't coming" and that it's up to the Thunderbolts, consisting of a plethora of MCU antiheroes who have definitely committed some war crimes, to save the world. "None of us can fly," Yelena says. "So we all just punch and shoot?"

The emotional trailer sees the team become discouraged by their pasts, only to be reassured that they do have some goodness in them - and that they are, in fact, the right people for the job - which seems to be defeating the mysterious Sentry. There's plenty of ass-kicking action, explosions, car flips - and there's still an asterisk next to the film's title for some reason. 

The premise sees a team brought together by Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) for a special government mission. Alongside Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, the movie also brings back David Harbour's Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell's John Walker, Olga Kurylenko's Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman's Bob (or Sentry if we're being honest), and Hannah John-Kamen's Ava Starr.

Star Stan has been vocal about how great he thinks Pugh is in the movie, which she previously told 12DOVE she was very flattered by. "I was very, very chuffed that he said that about me," she told us at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. "Also, it's so kind when people that you look up to and respect and love working with say wonderful things about you because it just makes you fill yourself with confidence and makes you feel that the thing you appreciate is also appreciating you and it's a lovely feeling. And he's been in the MCU for such a long time so to hear that from him is very special."

Thunderbolts* is due to hit theaters on May 2, just a few months after Captain America: Brave New World. They're not the only upcoming superhero movies either as The Fantastic Four: First Steps then arrives in July.

For more on the MCU, check out guides to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows, our breakdown of the Marvel timeline, and all the details about how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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