As Marvel Studios prepares to feature Florence Pugh's return as Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts, a new update may lead to some concerns that the film could be delayed.
Pugh will join an all-star cast in Thunderbolts, with the likes of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine rounding out the ensemble.
The exact plot details are still being kept under wraps, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige did confirm that Bucky is the “de facto leader” of the team.
Moreover, Pugh also expressed her excitement about returning as Yelena in Thunderbolts, pointing out that she’ll “act the hell out of it” despite not knowing its story (yet).
Marvel Studios Replaces Thunderbolts Writer with Netflix Scribe
Per Variety, Netflix's Beef creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jin joined Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts as its new writer. Lee replaced Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson who was the first announced writer of the movie.
Lee reunites with Beef director Jake Schreier, who is directing Thunderbolts, and co-star Steven Yeun, who recently broke his silence about joining the mega MCU ensemble.
Lee's familiarity with the Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier and MCU newcomer is a promising development as it allows the trio to collaborate once more and create another incredible project (Netflix's Beef currently has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes).
Speaking with Variety as part of promoting his Netflix show, Lee confirmed that he's "rewriting" the script for Thunderbolts, noting that "there's a lot of themes and exciting things" about the movie that he couldn't resist joining Schrier and Yeun in the MCU:
“I’m rewriting it. It’s the whole squad again. Jake asked me if I would come on board. I probably should have taken a break, but there’s a lot of themes and exciting things about the movie that I couldn’t help but sign on.”
The Beef showrunner then shared that he is honored to be part of a Marvel Studios project:
“It’s truly an honor to be part of a Marvel thing, but it is very different. One, it’s not my project, it’s Jake’s. It’s such a large scope and scale that the type of writing is very different. At the same time, the process feels the same, I’m still talking to Jake every day. … I think once you find the squad of people you love and trust and are so talented, you do everything you can to keep working with them.”
Lee previously wrote for Tuca & Bertie, Dave, and Silicon Valley. Thunderbolts will serve as his first writing credit on a feature film.
Will Marvel Delay Thunderbolts Due to Rewrites?
Lee Sung Jin’s confirmation that he is rewriting the Thunderbolts’ script could lead to concerns among the MCU fandom that the film might be delayed. This isn’t surprising, considering that Phase 5 delays across the board under the Disney+ banner are the talk of the town.
Still, there is a chance that the rewrites are minimal, with Lee potentially focusing on essential dialogues and some scenes that need to be reworked. If so, then a delay might not happen, meaning the movie will make its 2024 release date.
Thunderbolts will reportedly begin production this June. Unless there is a massive overhaul of the film's story, Jin's timeline for script rewrites is right on schedule.
However, given that Thunderbolts has a July 2024 theatrical premiere date, it's possible that Marvel could push the movie back into a November slot, similar to what the studio did with Brie Larson's The Marvels earlier this year.
For now, Thunderbolts is still set to premiere in theaters on July 26, 2024.
