10 Years Later, I’m Still Fascinated By What James Gunn’s Thunderbolts Movie Could Have Looked Like For The MCU

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Over ten years after James Gunn talked about making his own version of the MCU movie, I"m still fascinated by what Thunderbolts* could have looked like if helmed by the writer, director, and producer. There are a range of wonderful and sometimes weird upcoming MCU releases on the way, with the next impending movies for Phase 5 being that of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. Both promise to provide interesting updates for the franchise, with major figures like the MCU"s Red Hulk and Sentry on the way.
However, Thunderbolts* is perhaps even more interesting when the extensive conception of the movie is kept in mind, as it was being talked about by MCU movie creators many years before we ever saw the installment appear on the Marvel release slate. Indeed, it appeared as though Thunderbolts could be on the way in film format many Phases before its actual arrival, with James Gunn advocating for the story and offering his talents in order to see it be made. However, this isn"t how things have come to pass, though it offers a fascinating look at how different the story of Thunderbolts* almost was.
James Gunn Expressed Interest In Making The MCU's Thunderbolts Movie Years Before It Became Part Of Phase 5

James Gunn talked about his interest in adapting the Thunderbolts for the MCU as far back as 2014. While the creator was more focused on creating a sequel for Guardians Of The Galaxy following the less well-known Marvel team being a success with audiences, his interview about Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 with ScreenRant also saw him discuss how a Thunderbolts movie was in his hopes for the future - even talking with Kevin Feige about the possibility.
In the interview, Gunn stated, "I will tell you, one time I was saying to Kevin [Feige], we were sitting on set together on one of the days he visited and I said, "You know, I really want to make Thunderbolts," and he said, "James, if Guardians does well you"ll be able to do whatever you want so we"ll see what happens." Since all three Guardians movies were critical and box office successes, it certainly seems this would have been a viable opportunity.
While Thunderbolts* doesn"t have James Gunn at the helm, it"s fascinating to see how early the idea of the movie was conceived, and how long the idea was held on the backburner before it came to fruition. Similarly, this glimpse at how different the movie we will see could have been had it happened around this time and with James Gunn directing it makes the timeline from then to now all the more noteworthy.
Why James Gunn Didn't End Up Making The MCU's Thunderbolts Movie Close While there is no officially given reason for James Gunn not directing or creating Thunderbolts*, the superhero movie landscape offers some pretty solid reasons as to why this didn"t end up being the reality of the project. First and most obviously, Gunn is now co-CEO of DC Studios, and is primarily occupied with the handling of the DC Universe - something that would make being involved in Thunderbolts* almost impossible on both a time level and on a logistics level.
Secondly, the concept of the Thunderbolts team - that of a motley crew of supervillains and morally questionable figures banding together to be a government-operated group that oscillates between doing good and terrible deeds - is one that Gunn has already made superhero movie reality with his role directing and writing The Suicide Squad. The Thunderbolts and Suicide Squad are two groups that have been considered Marvel and DC counterparts for a long time, and as such, it"s unlikely Gunn would have wanted to also make Thunderbolts*, given how much overlap there is between the properties.
It is worth noting that James Gunn"s superhero projects have traditionally followed more obscure comic characters with little prior on-screen history in their respective franchises, allowing him to put his own mark on the figures and decide their dynamics without much in the way of prior lore, with this being seen in the Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. As it stands, this trend suggests DCU"s Superman movie is a preferable project for the creator and his talents over Thunderbolts*, as Superman offers the opportunity to breathe new life into the Man Of Steel and his DC world.
Why Thunderbolts* Is Still Likely To Mirror What James Gunn's Version Of The Movie Could Have Looked Like

It"s likely that James Gunn"s original vision for what a Thunderbolts movie could look like in 2014 is very different to the movie we"re about to get in 2025, since many of the main characters in Thunderbolts* hadn"t even been so much as teased for the Marvel Cinematic Universe at that point in time, and are indeed largely different to the conventional comic roster for the Marvel team. That said, it still seems some major aspects may remain the same despite these differences.
James Gunn"s superhero projects have largely revolved around unlikely alliances and bonds forming between the more unusual figures in Marvel and DC"s considerable histories, forming the emotional foundations of the story and ensuring audiences find themselves immensely invested in the likes of Polka-Dot Man. While it"s not clear what specific dynamics the Thunderbolts* cast will form with one another over the course of the movie, I find it hard to imagine the MCU movie won"t see at least some of the motley group bond with one another, especially given how many characters are at crucial development points of their respective arcs.
Indeed, the specific character choices for the movie - including a range of figures otherwise isolated from those they previously relied on for support - seem intentionally made in order to ensure that an unlikely group of close heroes will be the end result of the Thunderbolts* story. Of course, this is assuming that said newfound friends and allies actually survive past the end of the movie, as the reports of the original Thunderbolts* script where everyone died suggest things could still get very much like The Suicide Squad in more ways than one, and may well kill off some of the Thunderbolts* cast before the MCU installment is done.

Thunderbolts* (2025) Marvel's Thunderbolts* is a superhero movie based on the comic team of the same name. The movie acts as a part of the MCU's fifth phase of films. The film sees the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Wyatt Russell, the Red Guardian, and more as an unlikely group of heroes and villains brought together to fight for good.
Release Date May 2, 2025 Upcoming MCU Movies