THUNDERBOLTS* Director on SUICIDE SQUAD Comparisons and "Silence Your Phones" PSA Revealed
With Captain America: Brave New World in the rearview mirror, Marvel Studios is now steering full speed ahead toward Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
But before Thunderbolts* officially drops in May, audiences are already getting a fresh look at the film, as a new "Please Silence Your Phones" PSA featuring Thunderbolts* footage is currently playing in theaters.
Unlike the Deadpool & Wolverine version, which leaned into its signature meta humor, this one is straight from the movie itself. And while it’s brief, it does pack in some new details.
Of course, as soon as Thunderbolts* was announced, comparisons to Suicide Squad started flying. Director Jake Schreier, however, is pushing back on that assumption.
He told Empire: "I think people are expecting another version of Suicide Squad, but the story felt different. There was a flip of what people expected it to be."
Given Schreier’s previous work on Beef, it’s safe to assume the film will have its own unique identity rather than feeling like Marvel's take on Task Force X.
Schreier also revealed that his journey to the MCU started long before Thunderbolts*. He had previously been in the running to direct Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming, making this a long-awaited debut for him.
Empire also caught up with Sebastian Stan, who has played Bucky Barnes since Captain America: The First Avenger. He shared an interesting reason why he’s never wanted to go full CGI with the Winter Soldier’s arm.
Stan explained: "I've never taken the green-sleeve option. It's like a house of cards, and when you see a little hole there that you can poke through, all the other believability goes out the window.”
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes - Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
The cast of Thunderbolts* will be led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamenas Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as "Bob."
Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.