Thunderbolts* Has Two Big BTS MCU Show Connections

The Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue to expand on the big screen this May when the franchise’s Suicide Squad-esque band of misfit anti-heroes and weaker villains go on their first mission in Thunderbolts*. After years of waiting and fan speculation over whom the film’s characters will be, where the narrative will unfold, and who will die (let alone if anyone does), Thunderbolts* is roaring into theaters sooner than it may feel.

There is no doubt that the MCU has been in a narrative free fall for over half the same time it was in its prime—fans are hopeful Thunderbolts* will turn things around. In recent marketing pushes that promise such a return to form (or a refreshing new direction), Marvel Studios and Disney have revealed the cast and crew’s highlightable past achievements, particularly their work on A24 films and others like that studio’s. In bold letters, the indie-grit-edited Thunderbolts* trailer contains many pronouncements, such as “From the Stars of Midsommar, A Different Man and You Hurt My Feelings” and “The Writers & Director of Beef“—Netflix‘s hit series about rage alleviated by a psychedelic trip. Fortunately, one of Thunderbolts*‘ crew, cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, has not only worked on two episodes of Moon Knight on top of his other A24 projects, but he collaborated specifically with the director pair Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead on those episodes, who also directed three episodes (two yet-to-be-released) episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. This may allow those anxious about Marvel’s next big installment to sigh a little relief.

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Thunderbolts* Looks Good, Thanks to Its Cinematographer

Andrew Droz Palermo’s Projects (Both MCU and Outside It).

Aside from the MCU, Thunderbolts*‘ cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo still has an impressive resume. He was the cinematographer for A24’s fantasy film The Green Knight, the horror hit You’re Next, and even docu-dramas such as Rich Hill. He has more than proven his abilities behind the camera, utilizing backgrounds to isolate characters in their unnerving or dangerous environments.

Inside the MCU, Palermo shot two entire episodes on his own—episode 2, “Summon the Suit,” and episode 4, “The Tomb,” which were the Benson- and Moorhead-directed episodes—and was responsible for several other scenes, including the limited series’ opening shot, as he relayed to Screen Rant. Moon Knight was released to mostly positive praise, with its striking visual flair (minus its noticeably shoddy CGI) that captured Egypt’s ins and outs, whether its seemingly infinite grains of sand or inside the decrepit tombs of old Pharaohs. Premiering May 2nd, 2025, fans can rest assured that at least the film’s visual components are in good hands.

The Palermo-Moorhead-Benson Connection May Mean Even Better News For Fans

While Marvel Studios has been known to be careful with who it fills the crew and acting roles with, recent choices like making Chloé Zhao Eternals‘ director, have not resulted in astoundingly entertaining movies and TV. However, Palermo appears very picky with the projects he signs onto—Moon Knight is definitely not one of the projects stapled as an example of the MCU’s decline, and Daredevil: Born Again, which includes one of the three of that series’ Benson-Moorhead-directed episodes released thus far, has received even higher praise in many respects—suggesting he would not have signed onto Thunderbolts* without confidence in the finished product.

This also ensures there will be some bits of consistency across recent MCU projects, a component sorely lacking in Phase 4 and 5’s divisive line-up so far. With the massive slowdown in content output, Marvel has taken the time to ensure more connectivity in front of and behind the camera. In Marvel’s prime, these behind-the-scenes connections are what gave the franchise its integrity. Jon Favreau, for example, directed the first two Iron Man films and has continued to play Tony Stark’s—and eventually, Peter Parker’s—right-hand man up through the hilariously meta Deadpool & Wolverine; Peyton Reed worked on all three MCU Ant-Man films; Taika Waititi made the first genuinely great Thor film with Ragnarok, so Marvel kept him around for Thor: Love and Thunder, which floundered back to the unserious qualities that Thor: The Dark World made on-screen Thor so initially infamous for. While that method does not always bode well, it has worked more often than not, solidifying hopes that the connections between Thunderbolts*, Moon Knight, and Daredevil: Born Again will provide enormously entertaining, consistent, and perhaps meaningful storytelling for MCU fans yet again.

Time will tell whether Marvel Studios’ massive slowdown and careful focus on select projects is worth it. While Captain America: Brave New World is a weak start to this new era in the already new era of Marvel, series like Moon Knight, Born Again, Agatha All Along, and Loki (a few episodes of which were also directed by Benson and Moorhead) have taken fans by storm, surprising them with how much room Marvel has to grow despite their other recent flops. Thunderbolts* thus certainly has a lot going for it, as every MCU entry is a make-it-or-break-it kind of deal nowadays—but its strong crew overlaps with other MCU projects may suggest the film has more integrity than initially given credit for.

Thunderbolts*

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Director

Jake Schreier

Writers

Lee Sung-jin, Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo

• 

  Florence Pugh

  Yelena Belova

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  Sebastian Stan

  James Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier

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  David Harbour

  Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian

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  Wyatt Russell

  John Walker / U.S. Agent

MCU

First Film

Iron Man

Latest Film

Marvels