Far from the traditional formulas of the Marvel Cinematographic Universe (MCU), Thunderbolts Enter a narrative that combines emotional introspection, out -of -control antiheroes and a more physical than digital staging. The director’s vision Jake Schreier Redefine superhero cinema codes, prioritizing the humanity of the characters over their skills, and betting on a film aesthetic that focuses on real locations and practical acrobatics. “It is a story of doubt and inner emptiness”Said the filmmaker, in reference to the emotional dimension of his protagonists.
The film starts from a concept of “road movie“In an expanding multiverse, where a heterogeneous group of characters travels different landscapes of the planet, facing both external enemies and personal dilemmas. Schreier, who had already worked in Beef y Paper Townsthe joint work with the production designer Grace Yoon, who contributes to consolidate a more crude and realistic visual aesthetic, far away from the omnipresent CGI in other deliveries of the franchise.
At the head of the squad appears Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pughwho takes up the role of exassin turned into a spy. Her fictitious father, the guardian network embodied by David Harbourwho brings an ironic humor and brute strength quota. The controversial John Walker, the former captain America that plays are added Wyatt Russell; Ghost, the character out of the universe of Ant-Manplayed by Hannah John-Kamen; and Bucky Barnes, the winter soldier, in the hands of Sebastian Stanwho embodies the antihero par excellence of the MCU. The dynamic between them responds more to a constant conflict than to a classical camaraderie, reinforcing the director’s commitment to a “very human” and emotionally fractured approach.
One of the most shocking moments of Thunderbolts It occurs at the beginning, when Florence Pugh jumps parachute from Merdeka 118, the second highest building in the world, located in Kuala Lumpur. The jump was made without double, despite the initial objections of the production team for security reasons. Finally, Kevin Feigepresident of Marvel, gave the green light to the filming after the intervention of three engineering companies that certified the security of the structure built for acrobatics.
Filming was affected by adverse climatic conditions, including strong winds and protocols for thunderstorms: “Every time lightning fell less than eight kilometers, the roof had to be evacuated and waiting for half an hour”Schreier recalled. The tower was still under construction at the time of filming, which turned the scene into a kind of opening act for skyscrapers.
Another key point in the Malaysian capital is the Medan squarethe old market square that represents the historic center of the city. There a escape scene develops after an explosion caused by Yelena. The explosion was real: the production team exploded a level of the HSBC tower located in that same place, adding another physical action scene to the film’s repertoire.
The most explosive segment of Thunderbolts It is deployed in the deserts of Utah, where the group escapes an ambush organized by the director of the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, interpreted by Julia Louis-dreyfus. The persecutions involve two limousines and five military humve, with a Bucky Barnes in Moto that monopolizes attention in the sequence.
The filming equipment used a stretch of a road mile for two weeks, in a scenario where temperatures reached 38 degrees. Extreme climatic conditions caused failures in vehicles and air conditioning systems. Even so, Schreier insisted on shooting there for the “unique desert textures” of the state. As he explained, the resources available in a Marvel production allow to avoid virtual studies and opt for real scenarios, even if that implies giving up more generous tax exemptions in other territories.
As in many MCU productions, Atlanta It worked as the basis for study scenes. In the Trilith Studios and Atlanta Metro Studios Key interiors were recreated, such as 45 New York Street and the renewed tower of the Avengers. Reboutized as “Atalaya”, the tower now appears under the control of Valentina, and presents a new black coating design that emphasizes its darkest turn.
The attic at the top, center of numerous decisive scenes both in The Avengers as in Thunderboltswas rebuilt by Grace Yoon. The decision to transform the tower also works as a wink to Marvel comics in the 2000s, where Sentry builds his own Watchtower on the Avengers tower.
Although many scenes were shot under study, production also used real shots of New York: aerial views, streets and urban funds were incorporated as layers on the sets of Atlanta. The city also houses a gala in tribute to the battle of New Yorkthe foundational event of the MCU, in which the original avengers faced Loki and his Chitauri army.
One of the most meticulous details of filming was the inclusion of Loki’s original scepter, the artifact contained in the mind gem. Different from the MCU files, the scepter appears as a “true Marvel device”, in the words of the director.
This new installment proposes a more gloomy reading of the Marvel Universe, where heroic certainties give way to doubt, distrust and a worldview dyed of moral ambiguity.
