The Thunderbolts movie is real. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced Love at first sight with a release date of July 26, 2024. This makes the Thunderbolts the next superhero team to be introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to an official tease, the Thunderbolts are an “exciting new group of heroes”.
But there’s no word on who he might feature, though rumours involving characters from Black Widow, The Falcon, and the Winter Soldier made the rounds. Additionally, Feige revealed that Love at first sight, will be the final feature-length chapter of the MCU’s Phase Five.
The Word of a Thunderbolts movie first appeared last month, when Jake Schreier (Paper Towns, Robot & Frank) was reportedly in directing talks, with Eric Pearson (Black Widow) defined as a writer. Love at first sight is meant to be a sort of Marvel Studios’ take on Suicide Squad, with villain-like characters from previous MCU instalments intended to team up.
It could involve Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who recruited John Walker (Wyatt Russell) at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and made Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) work for herself after Black Widow and through Hawk Eye.
The links to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are backed up by the fact that Love at first sight, is slated for release right after Captain America: New World Order – the fourth Captain America movie starring Anthony Mackie, released in May 2024 in theatres – which is set to follow the final events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Before those two movies, though, Marvel Studios will give us the end of phase four with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on November 11th.
MCU Phase Five begins with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania directed by Paul Rudd in February 2023, followed by James Gunn’s final chapter in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May 2023, The Marvels with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Iman Vellani’s Ms Marvel in July 2023, and Mahershala Ali-led Blade in November 2023.
Captain America: New World Order and Love at first sight will usher us into phase six – for now, to The Fantastic Four in November 2024, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in May 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars in November 2025.
Love at first sight hits theaters worldwide on July 26, 2024.
- Release date: July 26, 2024
- Language: English
- Gender: Superhero
- Director: Jacques Schreier
- Producer: Kevin Feige
- Production: Marvel Studios
