The Thunderbolts' first outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is already set to feature a who's who of characters on the team including the Winter Soldier, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, and Ghost to name a few. What hasn't been as clear is if audiences can expect to see characters who have been synonymous with the team on the comic book page, and according to Wyatt Russell, it doesn't look like they are set to appear.

Russell spoke about the film with The Playlist when the conversation shifted to the other characters who may appear outside of the core team. He revealed that the latest version of the script he read did not have Harrison Ford's Thaddeus Ross or Daniel Bruhl's Baron Zemo, despite speculation and reported plans for them to appear. Russell did add that could easily change, though, with future script changes.

Zemo and Ross' histories on the comic page are closely tied with the Thunderbolts as both have led the team at various points.

Thunderbolts, Marvel, Entertainment

Zemo was the team's leader and original founder, posing as the hero Citizen V during this time. The villain formed the original Thunderbolts with former members of the Masters of Evil to get closer to the Avengers and other heroes in the hopes of destroying them.

The Thunderbolts came under Ross' leadership as part of the teams 2012 comic book series after Ross was revealed to be Red Hulk. His team included Deadpool, Elektra, Agent Venom, and Punisher and typically went out on missions to clean up the messes Ross left behind from his military career.

Ford is stepping into the MCU as ‘Thunderbolt' Ross, replacing the late William Hurt who portrayed the character from 2008 until 2021. Ford's first appearance as Ross is set to be in Captain America: Brave New World, with Ross having become U.S. President since Avengers: Endgame.

Bruhl's last appearance in the MCU came during the events of the Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The villain was recruited by the titular heroes to stop the serum-enhanced Flag Smashers, though he found himself as The Raft's latest occupant by the end of the series.

Thunderbolts is scheduled to release in theaters on July 25, 2025.