What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThunderbolts*
Jake Schreier · Film · 2025
If you loved Thunderbolts*, start with Marvel's The Punisher (Steve Lightfoot, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Thunderbolts* across media.
You crave the way Thunderbolts* finds redemption for broken outcasts forced to navigate high-stakes, morally compromised missions against corrupt powers.
Books on the same thread
The Future
Naomi Alderman · Book · 2025
Explores: Technological surveillance, Cults and indoctrination, Wealth inequality.
Like the team in Thunderbolts*, the characters here are trapped in a dangerous game controlled by powerful, manipulative figures, forcing them to confront the weight of their own pasts.
Absolute Batman, Vol. 2: Abomination
Scott Snyder · Book
Shares a thread with Thunderbolts*: superhero noir.
This grim exploration of institutional corruption mirrors the dark, grounded atmosphere of Thunderbolts*, focusing on a lone operative navigating a system designed to keep the most dangerous truths buried.
All That We See or Seem
Ken Liu · Book · 2025
Explores: Digital anonymity, Corporate espionage, High-stakes kidnapping.
If the high-stakes espionage of Thunderbolts* kept you on edge, this story of a hacker navigating corporate shadows provides the same tension found when outcasts fight against overwhelming odds.
Thunderhead
Neal Shusterman · Book · 2018
Shares a thread with Thunderbolts*: Moral Ambiguity.
The moral ambiguity that defines the cast of Thunderbolts* is central here, as characters struggle with the ethical cost of their roles within a system that demands absolute obedience.
Series on the same thread
Marvel's The Punisher
Steve Lightfoot · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with Thunderbolts*: Moral Ambiguity.
The Punisher captures the same gritty, trauma-fueled military intensity found in Thunderbolts*, following a man discarded by his superiors who must navigate a conspiracy to find his own justice.
Gachiakuta
Series · 2025
Explores: Wrongful Accusation, Social Outcasts, Revenge.
Much like the disillusioned castoffs in Thunderbolts*, the protagonists here are social outcasts who must rely on each other to survive and seek vengeance against a corrupt, unforgiving world.
The Boys
Eric Kripke · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Thunderbolts*: Moral Ambiguity.
The Boys offers the same deconstruction of power seen in Thunderbolts*, highlighting the grit and necessary moral flexibility required when vigilantes decide to take on corrupt, untouchable authority figures.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord
Dave Filoni · Series · 2026
Explores: Criminal underworld, Revenge-driven protagonist, Anti-hero redemption.
This tale of a criminal syndicate mirrors the anti-hero team-up dynamic in Thunderbolts*, focusing on a protagonist who must leverage his dark past to build a new, rebellious power base.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with Thunderbolts*: moral ambiguity.
These cinematic stories echo the suspenseful, character-driven tension of Thunderbolts*, focusing on moral ambiguity and the difficult choices individuals make when they are caught in life-altering, high-pressure situations.
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
The Orphans captures the feeling of a found family struggling for survival, mirroring how the team in Thunderbolts* must rely on one another while navigating a hostile, unforgiving landscape.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of Thunderbolts*?
In Thunderbolts*, seven disillusioned castoffs find themselves trapped in a death trap. To survive, they must embark on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their individual pasts while working together to navigate the threats they face.
Who directed the movie Thunderbolts*?
The 2025 movie Thunderbolts* was directed by Jake Schreier. The film follows a group of seven disillusioned castoffs who are forced to confront their pasts while executing a dangerous mission after being ensnared in a death trap.
Is Thunderbolts* a 2025 release?
Yes, Thunderbolts* is a 2025 film directed by Jake Schreier. The story centers on seven disillusioned castoffs who must complete a dangerous mission after being trapped, ultimately forcing them to face the darkest aspects of their pasts.
How many characters are central to the plot of Thunderbolts*?
There are seven primary characters in Thunderbolts*. These disillusioned castoffs are ensnared in a death trap and must undertake a dangerous mission that requires them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts to complete their objective.