The creator of the new Thunderbolts team and the writer of the team's forthcoming series, Jim Zub, just told fans on Twitter that he pitched the new series to Marvel Comics as "Ted Lasso by way of the Avengers." Seeing as the Thunderbolts team has historically been portrayed as a team of former (or current) supervillains, comparing the new team to the heartfelt and emotional TV show Ted Lasso as well as the heroic Avengers certainly sets up the new comic in an entirely different light.
Ted Lasso, starring Jason Sudeikis in the titular role, premiered in 2020 and almost instantly became a fan-favorite, garnering immediate critical acclaim and racking up an impressive 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its first season. The series follows a former coach for college football teams, as he is recruited to coach for AFC Richmond, a soccer team in England. Lasso must contend with the team and public's perception of him while adjusting to his new role and learning how to properly coach his team and manage all the big, diverse personalities within it. Zub's new Thunderbolts team will be led by Clint Barton, the Avenger Hawkeye, and will apparently explore the complex and compelling world of superhero team dynamics in a way reminiscent of Ted Lasso and his soccer team.
Thunderbolts - written by Jim Zub with art by Sean Izaakse - will apparently be an adventurous romp around NYC, but will also have an emotional core to it that elevates it beyond simply a superhero versus supervillain story. Preview images released by Zub reveal that Hawkeye will be forming his new Thunderbolts team in response to Mayor Wilson Fisk's evil Thunderbolts team, utilized as his deadly enforcers to wage war against the superheroes of New York City in the Devil's Reign crossover event. On Twitter, Jim Zub told fans the series was packed with humor and heart, drawing on his experience writing compelling team dynamics, adding, "My elevator pitch for this series was essentially 'Ted Lasso by way of the Avengers.'"
Spinning directly out of the events of Devil's Reign, the new Thunderbolts - consisting of Hawkeye (who previously led the team when it was composed of villains seeking redemption), Spectrum (Monica Rambeau), Power Man (Víctor Álvarez), America Chavez, Persuasion (Kara Killgrave, daughter of the villainous Purple Man), and a new '90s-era cyber-soldier character Gutsen Glory - will be dealing with multiple crises taking place across NYC. However, Zub makes it clear that the series will highlight the intense "interpersonal struggles" that come with the formation of a new team, so his comparison to Ted Lasso makes perfect sense. Throughout the first season of the popular show Lasso and his team are forced to contend with the ups and downs of being part of a sports team, one that has surprisingly high stakes for the characters involved, and at the end of the day the show is much more about healing, friendship, and growth than it is about playing soccer.
Jim Zub previously wrote the 2016 Thunderbolts series, with a team run by the Winter Soldier, and has also written for Uncanny Avengers and Champions - all team-based series that have received critical acclaim and fan response, so readers can rest assured that Zub knows what he is doing with this newest incarnation of the Thunderbolts. Jim Zub and Sean Izaakse previously teamed up on Champions where they created the new Canadian Inuk character Snowguard, so it seems likely that the Thunderbolt's new character Gutsen Glory will likewise be a wonderful addition to the team's roster. If you are a fan of Ted Lasso, the Avengers, or any of Jim Zub's prior Marvel Comics team-up series, make sure to pick up Thunderbolts #1 when it debuts in May 2022.