1 Overlooked MCU's Villain Will Be The Thunderbolts' Hulk

With Marvel’s Thunderbolts set to be her next major MCU appearance, Ghost’s dynamic with the team may end up being similar to Hulk’s with the Avengers. The Thunderbolts line-up will include the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova and U.S. Agent John Walker, creating a team of anti-heroes headed by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Although nothing has been heard from Ava Starr since Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ghost will be a wild card member whose story will draw parallels to The Avengers’ Bruce Banner.

Among the current Thunderbolts line-up of enhanced super soldiers, Ghost’s unique powers and backstory stand out. She didn’t want to have to go down this path and does everything she can to try and free herself from the torture, just like the Hulk had in the past. Although she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. from a young age, they saw her more as a weapon than a team member. Just like the Hulk before the Avengers, Ava hasn’t had much experience working with a team, and Thunderbolts will be an opportunity to see how she can fit in with these other anti-heroes.

Ghost's Unique Powers Make Her Like The Thunderbolts' Hulk

Ghost unmasked with a sad look in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2019)

Ghost got her powers as a result of an accident with her father’s quantum experiment. While the explosion killed both of her parents, she was flooded with quantum Quantum Realm energy that gave her the unique ability to become intangible. While it may be considered an asset in the MCU for a human to gain such powers and has earned Ava membership to a team of elites like the Thunderbolts, the powers essentially came at the expense of her childhood.

Much like Bruce Banner’s initial exposure to gamma radiation, both the Hulk and Ghost’s powers stem from the alteration of their DNA. Unlike some of their counterparts who were born as powerful beings or rely on enhanced gear, the change to their DNA was a heavy burden for the human body to take. In Ant-Man and the Wasp, it’s seen that Ava’s powers were even slowly killing her. As a result, just like Bruce, she would do anything to free herself from the pain.

Ghost's Villain Story Reflects The MCU's Hulk Arc (& Can Continue In Thunderbolts)

Bruce Banner was recruited by Thaddeus Ross to recreate the Super Soldier Serum but since he was never told what he was creating, it led to his unfortunate exposure to the gamma radiation. After that, he was hunted by the U.S. Army and unable to live in peace. Similarly, Ava was taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D. under the guise that they would help her harness her powers but was instead weaponized and used in their missions. After the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp, she was forced to go into hiding with Bill Foster.

Both were betrayed by the organizations that they trusted to help them, and now both have to live with life-altering physical and mental changes. Because of this, it took the Avengers some time to recruit the Hulk and gain his trust. For Ghost, it will likely be the same situation when being recruited for the Thunderbolts. Her justifiable distrust of others will be an obstacle for Val when creating her team, but Thunderbolts will hopefully outline Ava’s recruitment process into the team like The Avengers did with Bruce.

Ghost Is The Hardest To Predict Fitting In With The Thunderbolts (Like Hulk With The Avengers)

Thunderbolts line up consisting of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Ghost, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier, US Agent, and Taskmaster

With so many big personalities already confirmed for the Thunderbolts line-up, it’s hard to predict where Ghost will fit in with the team. In comparison to the other members, Ghost’s powers are unique. Some may consider her an asset while others may see her as a liability, just like the Avengers did with the Hulk. For Ava herself, it’ll be hard to tell if she’ll even want to interact with them in the first place after working on her own for so long. The Avengers showed how Bruce was eventually able to overcome his inner turmoil to trust the others, and while the members of the Thunderbolts are certainly more unpredictable, they could end up becoming the team that Ghost needs to accept herself.

Overshadowed by many of the bigger names on the Thunderbolts, Ghost can become a major player among them thanks to her unique powers. Just like the Hulk, all of Ava’s actions have been in hopes of ending her pain. While it’s possible that the Thunderbolts could take advantage of that, they could also provide Ghost with the team that she didn’t know she needed. If her story plays out anything like the Hulk’s, Ghost’s anticipated comeback in Marvel's Thunderbolts will serve as a huge step for her character.

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