Thunderbolts: the movie that lights the torch for Avengers: Doomsday

After many doubts and criticisms about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we finally have something exciting to look forward to: Thunderbolts, directed by Jake Schreier, premieres in theaters in a few weeks, promising to be the catalyst for the next big saga of the Marvel Studios. And no, it's not an exaggeration - the director himself confirmed that his film brings clues of what's to come in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled to end the current phase with impact.

Schreier, always careful not to reveal too much, made it clear in a recent interview that, although he is not directly involved with Doomsday, Thunderbolts will have elements that point to future events in the MCU. In his words:

"Look, you know the character I'm talking about and you know there's a level of power there that can have an impact on the future. I'm not doing Doomsday, I have no knowledge of that."

If you've been following the news, you know that the mentioned character (not officially revealed by name, but with strong indications) is Sentry, one of the most powerful beings in Marvel Comics. Introducing someone of this caliber changes the whole game. Just a reminder: Sentry has strength comparable - and in some storylines, superior - to that of Hulk himself, in addition to abilities such as flight, energy manipulation, and regeneration.

But don't just get carried away by the expectation of seeing "explosive powers" on screen. Schreier emphasized that the main difference of Thunderbolts will not be the pure and simple visual spectacle, but the humanity of the characters. According to him:

"I know that on the surface, our characters may not seem to be the most powerful in the universe, but in the end, what makes these movies so fantastic are the people that emerge in them and the situations they face and how they function as characters, more than the powers."

This more character-building focused approach echoes previous strategies of the studio, as we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), which was not initially a safe bet, but is now one of the most beloved franchises of the MCU.

Furthermore, Schreier let slip another interesting piece of information: Thunderbolts will not be a "closed-end film". The director stated that the story was planned to leave important hooks:

"After seeing Thunderbolts, we will want to follow the journey of these characters,"
strongly suggesting new appearances in future movies and series.

Technically, Thunderbolts also stands out: the cast brings together names like Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent), David Harbour (Red Guardian), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost). The cinematography was handled by Autumn Durald Arkapaw (who has already delivered beautiful work on Loki) and the soundtrack is in the hands of Henry Jackman, the same composer of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

It's worth noting that the project suffered delays during the screenwriters and actors strike in 2023, which raised concerns about its quality. Now, with marketing accelerating, it seems that Marvel Studios is betting high to regain the audience's trust - which has been shaken after questionable releases like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels.

Thunderbolts officially premieres on July 26, 2025, and promises to be more than just "the last film of the phase": it could be the beginning of a new cycle, where Marvel Studios finally listens to what its most loyal fans want to see.

So, do we finally have reasons to believe that the MCU will rise again?