One of the most exciting aspects so far of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the teases of future team-ups of iconic characters. Of course, many fans gravitate to the hopeful arrival of the Young Avengers with Kate Bishop, Miss America, Wiccan, Speed, and the rest. However, it seems like they’re also setting up a future cooperative of villains and anti-heroes like the Thunderbolts or the Dark Avengers in the comics – possibly being organized by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julie Louis-Dreyfus. There are plenty of possibilities for who could make up these teams, but these ten characters seem the most likely.
Black Widow (Yelena Belova)
Fans were delighted to see Florence Pugh return to the MCU as Yelena Belova in Hawkeye following her scene-stealing performance in Black Widow. She was set on her path to avenge Natasha’s death in Avengers: Endgame by Valentina – who many fans theorize knows that Clint was not actually responsible, but just wanted him taken out to prevent his involvement in her plans.
There are currently no updates as to when audiences could see Yelena again, but she is considered one of the faces in the MCU’s future. She is connected to the Thunderbolts as a member and leader in the comics, so it is easy to assume that she will be involved in their story in the MCU.
Abomination (Emil Blonsky)
Although The Incredible Hulk is the second film in the MCU, it was largely ignored in subsequent projects. That is, until William Hurt returned as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: Civil War, and again when Emil Blonsky aka Abomination cameoed in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The latter is returning again in She-Hulk, set to hit Disney+ sometime this Summer or Fall.
His inclusion in Shang-Chi and revamped design were eagerly received by fans. It immediately led to theories of his involvement as a member of the Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers team – especially since he was initially sought to be part of the Avengers over the Hulk by the World Security Council.
U.S. Agent (John Walker)
Another character that seems like a cure thing for a Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers team is Wyatt Russel’s U.S. Agent, after getting recruited like Yelena in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He was initially introduced as the government-selected replacement for Steve Rogers as Captain America. He, Steve, and now Sam Wilson, differ vastly – they all want to be the hero, but he wants it for the glory.
Following his disgraceful actions throughout the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, his decision to adopt the U.S. Agent moniker and join up in Valentina’s mysterious plans are lining up his redemption. It would certainly be interesting to see how his relationship with likely teammate Yelena could unfold, especially compared to Steve and Natasha’s.
Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo)
In the comics, the Thunderbolts have several different iterations, with the first being led by Baron Zemo. In the MCU, Helmut Zemo – played by Daniel Brühl – is back in prison on the Raft, yet he could still come to fill that role in the future should theories turn out to be wrong about the Contessa.
Regardless of whether he is chosen to lead or not, it still seems likely that Baron Zemo will still be involved in any sort of villain team-up in the MCU. Alternatively, instead of the Thunderbolts or the Dark Avengers, Zemo could be instrumental in forming the Masters of Evil, who are far more outwardly bad.
Taskmaster (Antonia Dreykov)
Many fans were excited to see a popular villain appear in live-action with the introduction of Taskmaster in Black Widow. However, the choice to adapt the character into Antonia Dreykov – General Dreykov’s daughter who Natasha thought she had killed as a child – did leave a sour taste in some fans’ mouths. Antonia does survive and seems to have joined up with the Widows to recover from her years of conditioning and brainwashing.
As such, should Yelena join the Thunderbolts, Antonia’s Taskmaster could also return. Otherwise, the door is still open for Tony Masters to appear and the moniker of Taskmaster could be treated like several other characters’ titles, being passed from one character to the next.
Ghost (Ava Starr)
Ant-Man and the Wasp slightly diverged from the classic MCU formula by not killing off the main antagonist: Ava Starr, aka Ghost, played by Hanna John-Kamen. Last seen skulking into hiding to recover with Bill Foster, her fate is still unknown. Since Hank, Janet, and Hope were all snapped away by Thanos, and Scott was stuck in the Quantum Realm, there was no way for Ava to get the quantum energy she needed to survive.
For her sake, let’s hope she was also dusted and returned five years later. It would seem unnatural, and frankly disappointing, for such a complex character to die offscreen – therefore Ghost would make a welcome sight as being part of the Thunderbolts.
Luke Cage
In groups of reformed supervillains, it might come as a surprise to those unaware that several heroes have also been part of the Thunderbolts, with some even leading the team. One such character is Luke Cage. For a while, it was left ambiguous if he and his fellow Defenders from the Netflix series were actually part of the MCU’s main continuity, but Charlie Cox’s reprisal as Matt Murdock aka Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home confirmed that they are.
As such, fans are eagerly anticipating when they will get to see Luke Cage and the others again, and making him part of the Thunderbolts would make for an exciting reintroduction. At the end of Luke Cage, he has taken over as Harlem’s new crime lord, so he somewhat fits in with other the morally-ambiguous characters on the team.
Bullseye (Benjamin Pointdexter)
Along with the main heroes, many fans are hoping to see some of the Marvel-Netflix series’ villains again. There are multiple who would make logical members of the Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers team – such as Patsy Walker aka Hellcat, played by Rachel Taylor in Jessica Jones, who should still be imprisoned at the Raft alongside Zemo.
However, the best case might be Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye from Daredevil. The third season essentially served as his villainous origin story, and now that a fourth is in the works, it seems likely that he will be featured again, so it would then make sense to see him in a team of villains in the future.
Scorpion (Mac Gargan)
The MCU’s Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers team does not need to be made up solely of preexisting villains or adversaries. It can also incorporate other characters who have been introduced yet haven’t become the fully-fledged villains they are in the comics. The general public might've forgotten such characters, but knowledgeable fans are eager to see the likes of Mac Gargan, aka Scorpion, again.
Gargan was one of the Vulture’s potential partners in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but he got arrested by the FBI, and in a post-credits stinger, he vowed revenge on the web-slinger. He seems like a likely option to be an antagonist of a future Spider-Man film.
Moonstone (Karla Sofen)
There are many different projects coming down the pipeline and with them, all sorts of new villains are ripe to pick from. Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it is theorized that Zawe Ashton – recognized for Nocturnal Animals and Velvet Buzzsaw – could be playing classic Captain Marvel villain, Karla Sofen aka Moonstone.
Sofen is the third person to use the name Ms. Marvel – replacing Carol Danvers on Norman Osbourne’s Dark Avengers team – and she was an original member of the Thunderbolts in the comics. Therefore, it would make sense that should The Marvels or even Ms. Marvel introduce Moonstone, she would then also be part of the Thunderbolts.