Thunderbolts Cut a Scene That Would Have Cleared Up a 4-Year-Old MCU Mystery Regarding an OG Avenger

The new Thunderbolts* movie almost included a scene that would've wrapped up a Marvel Cinematic Universe mystery from Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow movie. The Thunderbolts* screenwriter recently shared details about the cut scene.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Thunderbolts* writer Eric Pearson shared how, at one point, the film's development included a scene that would've resolved some tension between Yelena and Clint Barton (Hawkeye) that was set up in Black Widow's post-credit scene. Originally, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) tasked Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) with "doing away" with Clint (Jeremy Renner), saying he was "the man responsible" for Natasha/Black Widow's death.

Clint later set the record straight, helping Yelena get closure and understanding of how her adoptive sister sacrificed herself for the sake of the world in the aftermath of Thanos' deadly snap. "I loved [the confrontation scene] because it emphasized Valentina’s manipulation. Yelena entered the scene on fire, furious, accusing Valentina of setting her up to take out her sister’s killer, when, in reality, he was her best friend," Pearson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Pearson went on to share how the scene was intended to play out, highlighting Valentina's more sinister motives. "Then Valentina completely flipped the script on Yelena. I believe the line was: 'Set you up? You mean paid you to do a job that, by the way, you didn’t even do? So I heard some bad gossip, pardon me for trying to motivate you. But this is your job, and asking questions isn’t a part of it.'"

Thunderbolts* made its theatrical debut on May 2 as the final film in Phase Five of the MCU. In addition to Pugh as Belova, the film stars an ensemble cast including Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster), Lewis Pullman (Bob Reynolds), and David Harbour as Red Guardian. The film has already gotten off to a strong start at the box office, grossing over $170 million to date.

Pearson Also Discussed Thunderbolts* Recent "New Avengers" Rebranding

While a scene that saw Yelena getting some closure about the death of Black Widow would've been a nice inclusion in Thunderbolts*, the film ultimately took a different direction, and not long after its box-office debut, Marvel has already adapted its marketing strategy and 'rebranded' the film as The New Avengers. Pearson explained how this ties in with the film's final scene and how it was actually Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige's idea.

"That was a Kevin [Feige] thing," Pearson shared. "I pitched that Valentina is forced to introduce the Thunderbolts [to the public], and Kevin said, 'I think that she should call them the Avengers.' And I was like, 'Whoa, okay!'" The film ending with the Thunderbolts*introduced to the world as Valentina's new superhero team leaves them poised to play a big role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film -- with Thunderbolts* final post-credits sceneeven being shot from the set of the new production.

Thunderbolts* is in theaters now.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter