By establishing the MCU’s Avengers replacement, Thunderbolts* can finally answer a weird Avengers: Endgame mystery. From the disappearance of half of the universe to the rules of time travel, the film covered plenty of abstract concepts that may have posed more questions than answered. However, one mystery didn’t present itself in the MCU until 2 years later in Secret Invasion. The civilians of the MCU had to face the tough aftermath of the Snap, but the Avengers’ biggest post-Endgame problem may have actually come at the hands of Nick Fury.
Secret Invasion revealed that Fury had a team of Skrulls retrieve DNA from the Endgame battleground. This collection was stored in secret and known in code as the Harvest. While dangerous in general, the Harvest turns catastrophic when given to Skrulls who have the technology to copy superpowers via DNA. However, not every individual whose powers were in the Harvest was explicitly seen at the Battle of Earth, which raises a huge Endgame mystery of who was actually present. Luckily, Thunderbolts* may help to answer it.
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Marvel’s Thunderbolts: Cast, Release Date & Everything We Know
With an MCU Thunderbolts movie officially in development, here’s everything that’s known so far including potential cast, story, & release date.
Bucky & Ava’s Reunion Means Thunderbolts Can Answer A Years-Old Question
When G’iah uses the Harvest in the battle against Gravik in Secret Invasion, two Thunderbolts members’ powers are included in her arsenal. Bucky Barnes was a huge part of the fight in Wakanda, returning with the other victims of the Snap to fight again in the Battle of Earth. The other Thunderbolts member whose powers were shown was Ava Starr’s, as G’iah was able to use Ghost’s powers of intangibility to pass through solids. Unlike Bucky, however, Ghost wasn’t seen in either Infinity War or Endgame, which raises the question as to where she was during the fights.
The fact that Ava’s DNA was collected for the Harvest means that she had to have been at the Battle of Earth. Since Secret Invasion’s release, viewers have wondered in what capacity Ghost was in the Endgame fight. Several of the Thunderbolts are meeting for the first time in Thunderbolts* which will raise interesting dynamics, but Bucky and Ava should’ve already met at the Battle of Earth in theory. The film can’t really overlook the fact that the two have already fought alongside each other, which should answer the question as to where Ghost was during Endgame.
Sadly, Marvel Might Continue Overlooking Secret Invasion
While the previous meeting between Bucky and Ava is a big mystery, Thunderbolts* may continue to overlook this relationship and Ava’s Endgame participation. Secret Invasion’s continuity has been a problem in the MCU, as not much from the series has mattered thus far. Even in The Marvels, which seemingly would’ve been an immediate follow-up to Secret Invasion with Nick Fury and the Skrulls, nothing from the series really paid off. The MCU is likely overlooking Secret Invasion because of the series’ negative reception, so it may not be worth banking on a confirmation in Thunderbolts*.
Secret Invasion’s Harvest serum confirms the participation of several individuals in the final Endgame battle, including Ava Starr’s. Ghost wasn’t seen in either Infinity War or Endgame, and the Secret Invasion reveal has posed the question as to what her exact role in the Battle of Earth was. Especially because Bucky Barnes was another participant in the fight, their reunion in Thunderbolts* would help answer the Endgame mystery posed by Secret Invasion. However, fans may also have to brace themselves for Thunderbolts* to overlook Secret Invasion completely, leaving Ghost’s Endgame role a mystery once more.
Thunderbolts (2025)
- Director
-
Jake Schreier
- Release Date
-
May 2, 2025
- Cast
-
Sebastian Stan
, Wyatt Russell
, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
, Tim Roth
, Daniel Brühl
, Florence Pugh
, David Harbour
, Olga Kurylenko
, Harrison Ford
Key Release Dates
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