Thunderbolts* is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025. It will introduce a new superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie will bring together various characters from the franchise, such as Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), the Winter Soldier (played by Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (played by David Harbour), Ghost (played by Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (played by Olga Kurylenko), and the U.S. Agent (played by John Walker). This film will also serve as the conclusion to Phase 5, setting up the last part of the Multiverse Saga.
The first trailer for Thunderbolts* provides fresh insight into the film’s plot, showing how each of the mentioned characters is recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) for a suicide mission. After surviving the mission, the newly formed Thunderbolts confront Val in a familiar-looking location. Although the specific location is not mentioned in the trailer, it could potentially solve a long-standing mystery in the MCU. Eight years after the plot point was first introduced, Thunderbolts* may finally reveal who bought Avengers Tower.
Thunderbolts* May Reveal the New Owner of Avengers Tower
There are various theories about who purchased Avengers Tower in the MCU. Rumored buyers range from the Fantastic Four to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. This mystery has intrigued fans since Spider-Man: Homecoming revealed that Tony Stark sold the building in 2017. However, it’s possible that Val is the new owner of the former Avengers Tower. The first trailer for Thunderbolts* shows the team confronting Val in a New York City skyscraper, the interior of which bears a striking resemblance to the refurbished Avengers Tower, now under Val’s control.
None of the members of the Thunderbolts team had ever been to Avengers Tower before. Even Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, who was active during the time the Avengers operated out of their New York City skyscraper, wouldn’t have been welcome there, as he was still working for Hydra at the time. While the team members would certainly recognize the building as the former Avengers Tower, none of them would have any memories there, unlike the original Avengers who used it as their headquarters for about four years.
What Val Owning Avengers Tower Means for the MCU
It is possible that Val could be the main villain of Thunderbolts. However, many theories suggest that she could be working with someone else who could be a much bigger antagonist in the MCU. If Val now works out of the former Avengers Tower, then whoever she is working with has access to the building as well. Val’s partner could be revealed to be Harrison Ford’s President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. However, with his role in Captain America: Brave New World taking place several months before Thunderbolts, it would make more sense if her employer was someone else entirely.
The MCU may be setting the stage for the debut of Norman Osborn, also known as the Green Goblin, who could be Val’s mystery employer. In the comics, Norman takes control of Avengers Tower as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D., renaming it H.A.M.M.E.R., as part of the Dark Reign storyline. In this storyline, Norman disbands the Avengers and relocates the Thunderbolts, a team under his full control, to the tower. There, the Thunderbolts transform into what is later known as the Dark Avengers. It’s possible that the MCU’s Thunderbolts will be based in Avengers Tower in the future, and they might even evolve into the Dark Avengers in upcoming movies. If Norman Osborn and his associates now own Avengers Tower, it could be a sign that the MCU plans to incorporate the Dark Reign storyline in future projects. If he is introduced in Thunderbolts, fans can expect to see more of Osborn in films such as Spider-Man 4 and Armor Wars.
Why It Took So Long to Reveal Avengers Tower's New Owner
It’s been an exciting wait for fans to finally get the answer to the Avengers Tower mystery. However, it’s taken the MCU way too long to wrap up this storyline. Avengers Tower was sold back in the Phase 3 film Spider-Man: Homecoming, with almost no new clues about its new owner in the past seven years. By the time Thunderbolts hits theaters, it will have been almost eight years since this mystery was introduced, making it one of the longest and most frustrating waits for MCU fans. However, it’s likely that the MCU never intended to wait this long to reveal the new owner of Avengers Tower.
With the numerous delays to upcoming MCU movies, it’s possible that the franchise intended to address the sale of Avengers Tower earlier in the Multiverse Saga. The release schedule for Marvel has been constantly changing in the last few years, making it difficult to pinpoint when a new project will be released. It’s also possible that the identity of Avengers Tower’s new owner has changed. Some theories suggested that Mr. Gryphon, a variant of Kang the Conqueror, would be revealed as the building’s new owner. However, this may have changed when the MCU decided to move away from the Kang storyline. Other theories proposed that the Fantastic Four might convert Avengers Tower into the Baxter Building.
However, the MCU may have moved away from this possibility during one of the many story changes that took place before production began on The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Val owning Avengers Tower may have been a very late addition to Thunderbolts, but it could have significant implications for the team’s future in the MCU.
