Rumors suggest that Thunderbolts* see a specific character from the MCU’s past battling cancer.
Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios’ second 2025 film release, follows what could best be described as a ragtag assortment of MCU antiheroes and reformed villains as they work for the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (or Val).
Thunderbolts* Reportedly Bringing Back Bill Foster
According to insider Daniel Richtman on X (formerly Twitter), Marvel Studios has included Laurence Fishburne‘s Dr. Bill Foster in the Thunderbolts* movie.
However, according to Richtman, Dr. Foster will be suffering from cancer in the film, prompting Ava Starr (Bill’s surrogate daughter and the phasing villain Ghost) to care for him. This could be why Ava is working under Val and pulling dangerous jobs in the film, to help facilitate his treatment:
"Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) has cancer and she takes care of him. She also develops a close friendship with Taskmaster over their shared trauma."
It is interesting that according to this rumor, Ghost bonds with Antonia Dreykov, otherwise known as Taskmaster over "shared trauma." The two were forced into performing dark deeds in their respective pasts.
Although the pair had very different father figures. Bill Foster was loving and supportive of Ava. Antonia’s dear old dad, General Dreykov, used her as a human weapon.
Regardless, it sounds as though Bill might not be in the best shape when Thunderbolts* rolls around. Many fans have been very curious to see if Fishburne would reprise his Ant-Man and the Wasp role for this film, but they likely were not expecting it to be under such grim circumstances.
Bill Foster Gets Around
In addition to his presumed role in Thunderbolts*, Laurence Fishburne previously portrayed Dr. Bill Foster in his live-action debut in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. In that movie, Scott, Hope, and Hank seek answers for Scott and Janet van Dyne’s case of quantum entanglement.
Hope suggests that they reach out to Bill, an old colleague of Hank’s from the 1980s with whom, in typical Hank Pym fashion, he had a falling out. In his first scene, it’s established that in the late '80s, Hank and Bill were working on a project called Goliath. In short, it was an Ant-Man suit that could grow as well as shrink.
This concept was sat on by Marvel until 2023 when an episode from What If…?’s second season explored an Avengers-level threat occurring in 1988 before Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were even a glimmer in Nick Fury’s one good eye.
In response to a scared and angry preteen Peter Quill coming to Earth imbued with the powers of Ego, SHIELD sent out a response team that included none other than Bill Foster in his fully functional Goliath suit.
In addition to all that, Fishburne lent his voice to Foster in an episode of the tragically short-lived Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Although the quirky cartoon was not directly connected to the MCU, featured occasional cameos from actors who have appeared in live-action Marvel projects.
If Bill Foster truly is to show up in Thunderbolts*, it’s easy to expect that the movie might serve to kill his character off. Though, Laurence Fishburne is a popular star who typically turns in a good performance. So if he does not survive, hopefully, he goes out with a bang.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2, 2025.
