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Schreier brought up this characteristic of Thunderbolts while speaking to Collider, stating, "It was just a really different approach and a new kind of story to tell amidst that, which I know [Marvel Studios have] made so many things, but it's not a sequel. Yes, these characters have appeared before, but it is a new story being told and a story, I think, with a very different perspective than maybe people aren't expecting, and I think that that felt exciting and felt like a real challenge worth taking on."
While Schreier said that Thunderbolts isn't a sequel, Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park had stated otherwise in January. According to an Instagram post made by Park, the film will serve as a sequel to 2021's Black Widow.
With regards to Thunderbolts' uniqueness in the MCU, Red Guardian actor David Harbour has spoken about how the project differs from other MCU installments at CinemaCon 2023. "I read the script [for Thunderbolts]. It's real good. It's just really good... Marvel is changing it up," said Harbour. "They're always surprising, but this team in particular, and what they're doing -- what this means in the universe is its own thing, that's really interesting -- but the team itself and the way the movie comes together is very different from any other Marvel movie I've seen."
As for the film itself, Thunderbolts will supposedly include Adamantium as a plot point to set up the X-Men's debut, though this has not officially been confirmed by Marvel. It has also been claimed that Thunderbolts will have actor Steve Yeun play the Sentry, but much like the inclusion of Adamantium, this news has similarly not gotten any confirmation. Despite this uncertainty of his casting as the Sentry, Yeun himself noted that while he didn't know if joining the MCU was "explicitly on [his] bucket list," the story was what piqued his interest. "The intentions of the particular character that they wanted me to play were very clear, and that's what drew me to the film," he said.
Filming for Thunderbolts has been delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, though Marvel does presumably plan to resume work on it after the strike ends. There is no indication of when the strike will end at the time of writing.
Thunderbolts is set to arrive in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024.