Man-Thing Almost Joined the THUNDERBOLTS* and New Storyboard Art Reveals What Could Have Been
I absolutely loved Marvel's Thunderbolts*, but there's one character who could've made the movie even more interesting, and that's Man-Thing. As it turns out, the bizarre swamp monster came surprisingly close to joining Marvel's dysfunctional team of anti-heroes, and some newly revealed storyboard art gives us a look at what that might've been like.
Director Jake Schreier previously confirmed that Man-Thing, who made his MCU debut in Werewolf by Night, was seriously considered for the film. Now, storyboard artist Anthony Lee Winn has shared artwork featuring the creature alongside the Thunderbolts, offering a glimpse at a very different version of the team.
Just imagine throwing a giant, mostly silent swamp creature into a group that already has trouble getting along. Watching Yelena, Bucky, and the others try to figure out what to do with this thing could've been hilarious. I would've loved to see that dynamic play out!
Unfortunately, Man-Thing didn't make the final cut, and the decision came down to how he would fit into the story, particularly with Bob Reynolds, a.k.a. Sentry, playing such an important role.
According to Thunderbolts* screenwriter Eric Pearson, an early version of the story connected Man-Thing to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the CIA director responsible for creating Sentry. The creature would've either been one of her agents or something she wanted eliminated.
Pearson explained: "Man-Thing [was] an agent or some evidence that Valentina wanted to destroy. He is such an unpredictable creature. It kinda didn’t fit and we couldn’t figure out a way that made sense. And you look at Man-Thing and you are like, 'What the hell is that?' We already had Bob, who was, 'What the hell is that?'"
He continued: "If you are dealing with Bob, why the hell is this normal-looking guy here versus this swamp monster? You are going to spend a lot of your time looking at the swamp monster as opposed to Bob, who needed a lot of attention because we needed to use that real estate between Bob waking up and Bob realizing he is the strongest thing that exists in the universe,"
I get the reasoning. Bob's transformation into Sentry is a major part of what makes Thunderbolts* work, and introducing a massive supernatural creature might've pulled too much attention away from his story.
Still, I loved Thunderbolts* and thought it was one of Marvel's stronger recent movies. The characters, their personalities, and the way they played off each other made the film a blast. I also appreciated the mental health element of the story as well.
Adding Man-Thing to that group would've brought an entirely different kind of chaos, and I can't help thinking it would've made the team even more interesting. Whether Man-Thing would've eventually become part of the New Avengers is another question, but it's fun to imagine him standing alongside Earth's newest superhero team.
As for the character's MCU future, things remain uncertain. There's been no announcement of a Werewolf by Night sequel, and the long-rumored Midnight Sons movie still hasn't materialized.
Personally, I'd love to see Man-Thing return in the Ghost Rider project. Marvel has barely explored the supernatural side of its cinematic universe, and there are plenty of great characters and stories waiting to be brought to life.
Hopefully, Marvel Studios hasn't forgotten about the big guy. He's too weird and interesting a character to leave sitting on the sidelines.