You won’t have to wait long for a new movie from Marvel after Captain America: Brave New World. In just a few weeks, the next title will be released, introducing an unusual team of heroes. The most eccentric member is the Russian Captain America.
Which movie is it about? In early May, Thunderbolts* will be the next movie from Marvel. This will be the first time the titular team is introduced, consisting of less heroic characters:
- The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, is the leader of the group and known to fans from many Marvel movies.
- Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, the adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff, who was first seen in Black Widow.
- This character also appears in that movie, Taskmaster, played by Olga Kurylenko.
- David Harbour returns again as Red Guardian.
- Hannah John-Kamen plays Ghost, known from Ant-Man and the Wasp.
- Wyatt Russell reprises his role as U.S.Agent after the series Falcon and Winter Soldier.
The Thunderbolts resemble Marvel’s Suicide Squad, which suits the character selection. The wildly assembled team has three characters that share parallels with Captain America—besides Winter Soldier and U.S.Agent, especially the Red Guardian is an eccentric character.
The Russian Captain America
Who is the Red Guardian? The Red Guardian was first seen in the MCU film Black Widow in 2019. There, he plays the adoptive father of Natasha Romanoff and is portrayed by David Harbour, known from Stranger Things.
The Red Guardian is actually the Russian Alexei Andreovitch Shostakov. He was a Russian agent and became a super-soldier during the Cold War through the serum developed by the Russians based on the US serum. As Red Guardian, he effectively became the Captain America of the Soviet Union.
During an undercover mission in the USA, he had to play a family with Melina Vostokoff, Yelena Belova, and Natasha Romanoff. Over time, they developed a familial bond. These events can be seen in the film Black Widow.
Through his super-soldier serum, he has similar abilities to Captain America, although he does not appear as muscular. He possesses enhanced strength, endurance, speed, reflexes, and a better healing process than normal humans. Additionally, he is trained in combat with weapons and is an experienced spy.
The Red Guardian in the Comics
How is the Red Guardian depicted in the comics? In the MCU Thunderbolts, he reports to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and carries out missions for the CIA. However, his comic history differs from this. In the comics, Alexei Shostakov is a Red Guardian trained by the KGB to become the Russian equivalent of Captain America.
The major difference is: he is not a superhuman. The comic Red Guardian is a master of martial arts, a pilot, and also an excellent spy. In the comics, he is also actually the ex-husband of Black Widow. Unlike in the MCU, she is “upgraded” in the comics through the Black Widow program and is significantly older than she appears.
Before he was with the Thunderbolts, he was the leader of the Dark Ocean Society as Ronin
. When the Thunderbolts, led by Winter Soldier, planned to attack Red Skull’s castle, he was informed by Yelena and later joined the team.
By the way, in the comics, he also has a red shield made of vibranium.
You can see how the story of the Red Guardian develops in the MCU starting from May 1, 2025, in theaters. There, he will fight against the villain Sentry. Just a few months later, the story continues with the Fantastic Four. However, Mr. Fantastic was not always the nice hero: One of Marvel’s smartest heroes is getting a new film soon, but in another universe, he is a dangerous villain
