The MCU Will Finally Reveal Its Answer To The Boys In 2025

While Deadpool 3 will finally deliver an R-Rated MCU movie in 2024, the franchise is gearing up to introduce its answer to the notoriously violent The Boys in 2025 with Thunderbolts. Dynamite Entertainment’s comic book series and live-action adaptation follow a clandestine squad of government agents tasked with monitoring a particularly unconscionable collection of superheroes. In this universe, celebrity status has led to rampant corruption and reckless behavior among the super-powered elite, which The Boys intend to quell by any and all means at their disposal. This often leads to brutal results, as the titular team isn’t particularly virtuous themselves.

The adaptation of the comic has landed exceptionally well, boasting two spin-off shows and several awards as it delivers a fresh yet hyper-violent take on the superhero genre. Marvel, meanwhile, has (understandably) yet to offer something of the same adult-rated caliber, opting instead to explore dark themes in the MCU without enticing an exclusionary age rating. While it is highly unlikely to warrant an R-rating upon release, the MCU is still going to introduce a more family-friendly version of The Boys in 2025.

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Who Are MCU’s Thunderbolts? Team Members, Origin & Comic History Explained

Marvel Studios is officially working on a Thunderbolts movie, with production to begin in 2023. Here’s all you need to know about the Thunderbolts!

Marvel’s Thunderbolts Is The MCU’s Answer To The Boys

Thunderbolts will star a team of anti-heroes comprising Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, John Walker/U.S. Agent, Ava/Ghost, and Bucky Barnes. All of these characters have, at one point, been villains in various MCU installments but will unite under one banner (and leader) to carry out clandestine government operations. The expectation, of course, is that this once-villainous troupe will not be as restrained by their moral compass as The Avengers, potentially leading to some questionable acts as they carry out their missions.

Similarly, the team comprises individuals who don’t harbor any innate superpowers except Ghost, making them underdogs against any potential super-human adversaries. This is a possibility, as Thadddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is rumored to head up the team, possibly directing them to bring so-called superheroes to heel, much like The Boys themselves, as he has a track record of prejudice against the super-powered. This will likely lead to some entertaining improvisation, especially if the rumors of Thunderbolts‘ own Homelander replacement are to be believed.

The Thunderbolts Even Have A Homelander Replacement

In The Boys, Homelander is the most powerful yet most sadistically evil of the super-powered characters in the series. Often filling the role of arch-villain, his ability to wipe out The Boys (and the population) on a whim is part of what makes the story so compelling. The Thunderbolts, meanwhile, may have their own answer to the godlike villain in the form of Sentry. While unconfirmed, the rumored inclusion of Marvel’s most powerful superhero in the movie makes for some exciting possibilities.

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Who Is Sentry? The MCU’s Version Of Superman Explained

Sentry has been confirmed to be debuting in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts project in Phase 5, marking the Marvel Comics hero’s live-action debut.

Sentry is Marvel’s answer to Superman, with a litany of powers that make him nigh-unstoppable. While ostensibly on the side of the good guys in the form of Sentry, his evil alter-ego, Void, is a constant cause for concern among every other Marvel character and every other inhabitant of the universe. Suffice it to say, Sentry would be a vastly overpowered adversary for the Thunderbolts team (and any other MCU character) to subdue and easily draws more than a few parallels to the doomed rivalry shared between Homelander and The Boys.