Thunderbolts* Star Makes A Flattering Film Comparison To Describe Upcoming Movie

Thunderbolts* is getting closer and closer to its long-awaited debut, and one of the film’s lead stars has given fans a clearer picture of the dynamic that the film strives to achieve by comparing it to a culturally significant classic.

The Thunderbolts* film is one of the most highly anticipated projects in the MCU following the franchise’s brush with failure in 2023, which caused a tectonic shift in how the product was perceived across the board and forced some difficult decisions backstage. Initially not particularly interesting to fans, the ragtag group of antiheroes that would make up the MCU’s Thunderbolts team have since gotten a boost in appreciation following the rejuvenating success of Deadpool & Wolverine and a better fan appreciation for the idea of more grounded projects. These factors, as well as some leaked plot details concerning the Thunderbolts* project, have put the film in a much better place than its been since its 2014 conception.

Following those leaks from the Marvel Studios presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, there’s been a lot of new information and footage released via more official channels. Fans recently got to see the new MCU team assemble in the first official Thunderbolts* trailer, and now leading man Sebastian Stan has offered up a comparison to highlight how he percieves the work that the ensemble cast put into the project. Speaking to Variety about another, more controversial project he’s been attached to, Stan revealed that from his perspective, the Thunderbolts* film, “was kind of like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ — a guy coming into this group that was chaotic and degenerate, and somehow finding a way to unite them.”

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a psychological drama from the 70s that was based off of a novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. In it, Jack Nicholson plays a new inmate at a mental institution who comes into conflict with the institution’s domineering and ruthless Nurse Ratched. Over the course of the film, Nicholson’s character brings the other inmates together and gives many of them a renewed sense of purpose and self-worth despite facing great challenges himself. The film was fairly well received and would eventually be selected for preservation in the US Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. In addition to this classic project, Nicholson has also had his time in the superhero industry as the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman, giving fans one of the best live-action renditions of the Batman villains ever, arguably second only to Heath Ledger.

Stan’s Bucky Barnes seems well-placed to take on that role but should be wary of it, as Nicholson’s protagonist meets a grim fate at the end of that film. However far fans are willing to take the analogs between the films, the comparison is still quite high praise from Stan. This isn’t the first instance of one of the project’s stars coming forward with praise for the film, as Stan’s costar David Harbour previously teased game-changing elements for the MCU coming in Thunderbolts*. If the film manages to deliver on the promises made by its cast, then it could go a long way to really drag the MCU away from the brink. While Thunderbolts* is set to release in May, it will be preceded by Captain America: Brave New World in February, and the success of that project might be integral to how fans are feeling about the overallf franchise heading into Thunderbolts*. Both projects share the same grounded feel that the MCU is dead set on pivoting towards with its upcoming projects, a sentiment that even made its way into discussions surrounding the next Spider-Man film following the conclusion of Tom Holland’s Home trilogy.

While Stan’s comparison still doesn’t answer the most pressing question surrounding Thunderbolts*, it does go a long way to mesh with what fans got to see in the first trailer and really narrow down expectations for the dynamic the team can expect to have. Now, viewers can only wait for more official promotional trailers from the studio until the film finally hits theaters next year.

Thunderbolts* is currently set for theatrical release in May 2025.

Source: Variety