Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Bullet Train.
Audiences got to check out Bullet Train after its release on August 5th, 2022, bringing Brad Pitt back to the big screen. The film has received mixed-to-positive reviews, but praise has gone toward its characters. The action genre is generally dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days, so Bullet Train characters can be better understood by comparing them to MCU villains and heroes.
For every despicable antagonist like the White Death, there’s an equally vile baddie like Thanos. Likewise, there are lovable heroes like Ladybug for those who enjoy Thor’s role in the MCU. It’s worth looking at all the characters that are similar between Bullet Train and the MCU.
The Father: Scott Lang
For many viewers, Ant-Man is the most family-friendly MCU movie and much of the credit goes to Scott Lang’s fatherly personality. Scott will do anything for his daughter Cassie and that includes giving his own life. In the same vein, the Father boarded the train in Bullet Train to keep his son alive.
The Father was willing to be framed for the Prince’s planned assassination of the White Death if it meant his son would be safe, which is something that Scott Lang would understand. The Father and Scott see fatherhood as their ultimate achievement, with nothing stopping them from ensuring that their children would be happy.
The Elder: T'Challa
Films with Black Panther in them tend to be the best entries in the MCU, with the character known for his sage attitude and willingness to learn. T’Challa was devoted to his family, to the point where he craved vengeance for his father’s demise. Similarly, the Elder held his vendetta against the White Death for claiming his wife’s life.
The Elder’s devotion to his family was such that he planned ahead in protecting his grandson and boarded the train to save the Father’s life since the latter was his son. T’Challa and the Elder were wise enough to know when to let go, with the former sparing Helmut Zemo while the Elder did the same with the Prince.
Maria Beetle: Nick Fury
Maria was the one who handled Ladybug during his adventure on the train, also being his supervisor. Nick Fury was the Avengers’ boss and has been in charge of most of the heroes’ missions in the series. The two characters always appear to be one step ahead of the rest as well.
Where Nick Fury became close to the Avengers, Maria was also attached to Ladybug despite claiming not to be. Fury and Maria knew when to keep their cool and how their subordinates’ minds worked, ultimately guiding them to their survival.
The Hornet: Nebula
The Hornet and Nebula are women controlled mainly by their thirst for blood, having no care for who they hurt. They considered being top-level assassins to be their greatest achievement, having little to no empathy for their victims. The characters are also surprisingly adept at bringing forward some dark comedy.
Nebula was trained to be such a way by Thanos, while the Hornet appeared to be trigger-happy in general. Their inflated egos prevented Nebula and the Hornet from considering the heroes as big threats, which came to haunt them when the protagonists ended up outsmarting them.
The Prince: Loki
There are more than several schemes that Loki came up with in the MCU, owing to his duplicitous nature. Loki could get anyone to trust him until he inevitably stabbed them in the back, with the Prince conducting herself in the same way. She put on the act of being a helpless teenager throughout Bullet Train, which worked like a charm.
Loki and the Prince are cunning individuals who have no qualms about killing people to get what they want. They also suffered from massive father issues to the point where Loki and the Prince wanted to eliminate their own siblings to hurt their father. However, the Prince took it further by causing the White Death’s demise in the end.
The Wolf: Star-Lord
Star-Lord is generally a happy-go-lucky character but that’s mainly a way for him to mask his inner sadness. Star-Lord can lose control entirely when a loved one passes away, as seen when he attacked Thanos for killing Gamora. The Wolf behaved just about the same way when his wife was killed.
The Wolf had a similarly sad childhood as Star-Lord did, seeing his wife as his ticket to happiness. The loss of his spouse led to the Wolf losing his mind and attacking Ladybug on the train, not realizing the latter wasn’t to blame. Star-Lord and the Wolf were overall tragic characters who had brief brushes with happiness.
The White Death: Thanos
Thanos is considered to be the best villain in the MCU, with all of the heroes of the universe coming together to defeat him. The White Death took this role in Bullet Train, as the protagonists all had beef with him for causing the deaths of their loved ones or for attempting to eliminate them.
Thanos and the White Death were terrible fathers to their children, causing them to resent the White Death and attempt to take his life. The two villains left a trail of bodies in their wake in the name of dominance, viewing all the people they killed as a necessary evil.
Lemon: Groot
Lemon and Groot are criminals but they have hearts of gold, especially due to their loyalty toward loved ones. Lemon formed a duo with Tangerine as bickering brothers, which is similar to Groot’s relationship with Rocket. Lemon and Groot are also the quieter and more innocent members of their duo.
Lemon extended his loyalty to Ladybug, the Elder, and the Father in the climax, which is similar to Groot accepting the rest of the Guardians as his friends. Both Lemon and Groot sacrificed themselves to save their teammates, with the pair also somehow surviving when it seemed impossible.
Tangerine: Rocket Raccoon
Tangerine and Rocket are the types of people who will say hurtful things but truly care about their families. Tangerine kept insulting Lemon during Bullet Train, only to break down in tears when he thought the latter had died, he then went on a bid for vengeance.
Rocket has also been the Guardian who keeps insulting his teammates but was shattered when they were lost to Thanos’ Snap. Rocket and Tangerine love to boss people around and are very touchy when someone has a good comeback to their putdowns.
Ladybug: Thor
Ladybug just wanted to get the briefcase and disembark the train, only to be pulled into the wider plot of the White Death. Thor had this attitude in Love and Thunder, where he didn’t want to fight anyone and just wanted to be at peace after a lifetime of fighting.
Ladybug was formerly an assassin who had a change of heart and sought peaceful resolutions, bringing his mindset to the same space Thor had. Both Ladybug and Thor are talented fighters who are goofballs by personality. They crave love and acceptance from their friends and keep bemoaning their terrible luck.