Custom image of Bruce Willis in Die Hard against a background of Thunderbolts*
Despite some unavoidable delays, such as those due to 2023's industry strikes, Thunderbolts* seemed to have a smoother production than some of Marvel Studios’ other recent projects. It wasn't plagued by extensive reshoots like some of its closest predecessors, and that comes through in the final product, which is already enjoying so much critical success.
That being said, like most films, it still changed considerably during the writing process. Director Jake Schreier recently spoke about some earlier drafts of the film, noting that one in particular was similar to a certain Christmas movie starring Bruce Willis. 'Die Hard' Inspired an Early Draft of 'Thunderbolts*' Close In addition to elevating Willis to superstar status, the original Die Hard popularized a particular technique in action movie filmmaking: Most or all violence takes place in or near a single location, usually because the protagonists are trapped there for one reason or another. The 1988 movie remains so popular that mentioning Die Hard has become a kind of shorthand to reference such premises, just as Schreier uses it. While speaking to GamesRadar+ about the writing process for Thunderbolts*, Schreier noted that one of the earliest drafts of the film, written by Eric Pearson and executive producer Brian Chapek, “was kind of like a Die Hard thing,” elaborating that the entire story “was all going to take place in this vault, and getting out of it.” This suggests that that draft was likely a feature-length version of a sequence that exists in the finished film, in which Black Widow Yelena Belova , John Walker/U.S. Agent , Ava Starr/Ghost , and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster encounter and battle one another in a mysterious facility before being interrupted by the outwardly unassuming Robert “Bob” Reynolds . Trailers and other promotional materials for the film show that the facility is subsequently revealed as a death trap, with metal reinforcements sealing the windows and exits and flames being shot in through the ceiling. Related "It Feels Strange Because It Is": Florence Pugh Shows a Different Side of Yelena in 'Thunderbolts*' "It's a movie that isn't about the usual baddies versus goodies." Posts Although the story eventually developed in a different direction that necessitated multiple settings, Schreier argues that the final film itself is still “a little bit more contained,” which does come across in the footage released ahead of the premiere. Although the film does seemingly feature a supervillain attack on New York City, this appears to be a sequence focused on a kind of supernatural horror, with the villainous Void instantly vaporizing his victims or otherwise transforming them into shadows, rather than the more straightforward urban destruction found in past Marvel movies and similar blockbusters. Other than that, the action sequences shown in previews appear to keep the characters in relative isolation. 'Thunderbolts*' Choice to Move Beyond One Location Was for the Best While this isolation should add to the sense of intimacy and intensity in Thunderbolts* and a full movie version of the vault sequence is interesting to imagine, it may ultimately be for the best that the finished film moved away from this idea. This is especially so given that Marvel has already delivered a few noticeable Die Hard homages with past projects, including the Hawkeye television series, in which Pugh also appeared as Yelena. That show mainly emphasized its Die Hard inspirations through the aforementioned contrast between violence and the Christmas season, but it also recalls some more specific moments from the film, such as John McClane’s famous jump from the top of Nakatomi Plaza, during which he is tied to a fire hose. In Hawkeye, Yelena rappels down the side of a building in Rockefeller Center in a similar manner, even firing a gun into one of the building’s windows like John does — although he does so simply to break the glass and facilitate his own landing, while Yelena is actually trying to kill Clint Barton/Hawkeye . The latter scene also now comes across as an unintentional bit of foreshadowing for the headline-making leap from the world's second-tallest building that Yelena/Pugh performs in Thunderbolts*. The latter stunt has become central to Thunderbolts* marketing, highlighting the production’s choice to prioritize practical stunt work over action that relies heavily on computer-generated imagery, as is common in other superhero movies. These tactics are clearly intended to help the film appeal to fans of older action movies like Die Hard and other films from outside the superhero genre. And, again, the enthusiastic initial reviews of the film suggest that its approach has paid off, even if it ultimately decided not to embrace the more unconventional choice of setting an entire Marvel movie in a single location.Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Your comment has not been saved Like Follow Followed Thunderbolts* PG-13 Adventure Action Sci-Fi 8 10 Release Date May 2, 2025 Runtime 126 Minutes Director Jake Schreier Writers Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo Franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast See All
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