What to Watch Before ‘Thunderbolts*’

“Thunderbolts*” is nearly upon us and, just a heads up, you’re going to want to rewatch a few Marvel projects before then.

Hitting theaters on Friday, May 2, “Thunderbolts*” introduces a new team of heroes, made up entirely of people who, well, haven’t really been heroes up to this point. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) make up the squad, all having worked for the mysterious Valentina Allegra de Fontaine at some point or another.

The thing is, it’s been a bit since we’ve seen some of these characters, and a lot has happened since then. The good news is, you can find all of these over on Disney+ right now, so catching up should be fairly easy.

Here’s what you’ll need to watch before “Thunderbolts*” hits theaters.

Must-Sees

Black Widow (2021)

“Black Widow” is where we first met Yelena Belova, as well as Red Guardian. We learn about their history, their family dynamic, and their motivations. Not only do you see Yelena and Alexei as a father/daughter unit, but you also see just how much Natasha meant to Yelena, which is a key pillar to this appearance in the MCU.

This movie is arguably the most important one to watch ahead of “Thunderbolts*” — particularly for more context on the memories Yelena is forced to confront in the film.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

It’s been seven years since we were first introduced to Ava Starr, a.k.a Ghost, in “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and trust us, you feel exactly that throughout watching her in “Thunderbolts*.” You’ll definitely be digging through your memory trying to pull up specifics.

It’s easy enough to pick up her story in the new film, but if you really want to understand who she is and how she got her powers — and really what her powers even are — you’re going to want to revisit this one before heading to the theater.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Yes, bingeing a whole series ahead of “Thunderbolts*” is a tall order. But up to this point, John Walker hasn’t actually been in any of the MCU films. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” introduces him properly, and shows exactly how he fell into being a bad guy.

It also gives you a look at his dynamic with Bucky, which isn’t on full display in “Thunderbolts*” but is fun nonetheless. And on top of all of that, it also marks the first appearance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. We know it’s a lot to get through, but if you can watch it, you might want to.

Honorable Mentions

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Valentina has only shown up a handful of times thus far, and the most illuminating appearance came in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Here, we learn exactly who she is, at least in an official capacity. This will help you if you’re trying to figure out what she’s potentially being impeached from.

If you don’t have time to get this one in though, here’s a quick explainer on Val for you.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

This really has no bearing on the plot of “Thunderbolts*” if we’re being honest — at least, not in a major way. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” just happens to be where we first learn that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) sold the Avengers tower. “Thunderbolts*” merely confirms exactly who it went to (and apparently that a lot of memorabilia went with it).

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

It’s been awhile since Bucky Barnes has truly been a bad guy — you’ll learn how in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” — but it’s important in “Thunderbolts*” to remember that he did some truly terrible things as the Winter Soldier.

We go into some of it in “Captain America: Civil War” but “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” really shows how lethal he was for a time, and how it truly messed with his mind. Plot-wise, this isn’t necessarily a must-watch, but it is arguably one of the best films in the MCU and worth revisiting.

The post What to Watch Before ‘Thunderbolts*’ appeared first on TheWrap.