The Unlikely Film Inspiring 'Thunderbolts*', And What It Could Hint About The Plot

With Captain America: Brave New World now a little over a month into it's theatrical run, fans are looking ahead to the MCU's next big screen adventure, Thunderbolts*, due hit theatres in May. With the Avengers temporarily defunct, Thunderbolts* will follow an unlikely team of MCU anti-heroes as they are forced to come together to face a new threat to the world.

Promotion for the film is beginning to pick up, with new trailers, posters, magazine spreads, and a new Thunderbolts* themed 'Turn off your cellphone' PSA beginning to play in some theatres. In a recent interview, Jake Schreier, the Director behind Thunderbolts*, named a rather unlikely film as a source of inspiration. Here, we'll take a look at what that film is, and any hints it could provide as to what we can expect in the plot of Thunderbolts*.

Parts of 'Thunderbolts*' Are Inspired By Beloved Disney-Pixar Classic

According to Jake Schreier, a large part of the inspiration for Thunderbolts* actually came from Toy Story 3, the third, and, believed at the time, final entry in Disney/Pixar's beloved Toy Story franchise (A fourth film was eventually released in 2019, with a fifth due in theatres in 2026). Toy Story 3 saw Woody, Buzz, and co facing an uncertain future when their beloved owner, Andy, is preparing to head to college, and they are accidentally donated to Sunnyside, a local childcare centre.

While a children's movie focused on a group of toys would initially seem an odd piece of inspiration for a movie starring a group of comic book anti-heroes, it makes a little more sense when you dig into the specifics. Thunderbolts* is not so much inspired by Toy Story 3 as a whole, but by the iconic scene late in the film in which most of the main cast become trapped in a garbage incinerator. Perhaps notably, the scene in question is widely credited for Toy Story 3's 2011 Oscar nomination for Best Picture, a rare feat for an animated film.

Here's more of what Schreier had to say on the subject:

"The Characters of 'Thunderbolts*', like in 'Toy Story 3', are facing obsolescence. That furnace sequence works so well because you've come to care about these characters so much. Can they get out of the trash can together?"

From this perspective, the comparison between the two films is fitting. While the Toy Story cast face the possibility of being stashed away and unwanted, the organisations most of the Thunderbolts worked for (HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D, The Red Room) are now defunct, and it seems as though they are about to be thrown into a situation that none of them are necessarily qualified for.

So, what other hints could the Toy Story 3 connection give us about the Thunderbolts* plot?

Trapped in the Void

It is widely believed that the main threat in Thunderbolts* will be The Void. Described as both a person and a different realm, in Marvel Comics The Void is a manifestation of the darkness within Robert 'Bob' Reynolds, aka Sentry, the character played by Lewis Pullman in the film. Current speculation has Taskmaster/Antonia Dreykov being lost to The Void early in the film, however, a shot in one trailer sees Yelena Belova willingly approaching The Void, while some official screenshots are said to depict Yelena inside The Void.

This has led to a theory that not just Taskmaster, but the entire team will find themselves trapped within The Void. Yelena, possibly the last Thunderbolt standing, enters willingly in a 'Hail Mary' rescue attempt. The Thunderbolts will then have to prove themselves a true team and work together to escape.

The Bonds The Team Forms Will Be Important

In one Thunderbolts* trailer, Yelena quips about the team's lack of powers in comparison to the Avengers. However, this may in fact be the point. The bonds the team forms could ultimately be more important than the skills brings to the table. For example, the relationship between Yelena and Alexei Shostakov, the Red Guardian is said to be a pivotal one in the film.

On one hand, Yelena still hates Alexei for abandoning her as a child, as seen in the beginning of Black Widow. On the other, he is still the closest thing she has to a Father, and he is a part of her. Whether he can prove himself worthy of being a part she can truly accept could form the emotional heart of the film.

Also likely to beimportant are the relationships the other Thunderbolts are able to form with Bob in the early part of the film, before The Void manifests. None of the team members have powers that could stop a living dark realm such as The Void. However, some fans now theorise that Thunderbolts* final act will see the team enter The Void on a more personal mission to reach whatever remains of Bob/Sentry within it, and give him the confidence to take back control.

We can't wait to see how things unfold when Thunderbolts* hits the big screen in May.