Phase 5's Thunderbolts movie should be a sequel to Captain America: Civil War, exploring the fallout of the MCU's Sokovia Accords further.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally in a position to pay off the fallout of Captain America: Civil War by making the Sokovia Accords a key part of Phase 5's Thunderbolts. The Avengers' role in saving the world came to a head in Phase 3 as Crossbones' bomb in Lagos was the final straw for the damage they cause. The United Nations put the Sokovia Accords into effect shortly thereafter and divided the Avengers over whether or not they should sign the documents. With Team Iron Man and Team Captain America's fight, it was expected that the impact of the Accords would be felt throughout the MCU's future.
Marvel has not truly explored the ramifications that the Sokovia Accords had after Captain America: Civil War to this point. Yes, they were partially responsible for the Avengers breaking up, making them incapable of stopping Thanos, but that is the only real lasting impact they had. Heroes have still been able to be quite active in Phases 3 and 4 with limited government interference. Avengers: Endgame's ending even left audiences questioning if the Sokovia Accords were still in effect. Even S.W.O.R.D. violated them in creating White Vision in WandaVision. The upcoming Thunderbolts MCU movie release can change all of this.
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One of the goals of the Sokovia Accords was that it would give the world a group of super-powered people who have to respond to any matter that the UN wants. This certainly was not what the Avengers did, and it is difficult to imagine the new version of the team abiding by these rules. Thunderbolts is the MCU's opportunity to rework the Sokovia Accords and make them the basis for Marvel's villain team. It would strengthen the Suicide Squad comparisons in a way, but the Thunderbolts could emerge as part of Captain America: Civil War's fallout and the formation of the Sokovia Accords. This would have been especially true if they were to report to Thunderbolt Ross, but barring a surprise recasting of William Hurt, that dynamic is now unlikely.
Having the Thunderbolts operate under the guidance of the Sokovia Accords would be a clever way of getting around some tricky parts of adapting the comic team. The MCU can't pull off the team's original comic twist where the villains disguised themselves as heroes and tricked the public. However, the Thunderbolts could be viewed as "good guys" if they can be framed as the only superteam that is technically following the law. A team made of Yelena Belova, US Agent, Baron Zemo, Abomination, and more would be able to have their reputations changed by signing the Sokovia Accords and going on missions approved by the United Nations.
If the MCU's Thunderbolts team fits this mold, it would also still let the villains be antagonists to the rest of the shared universe. The Thunderbolts could be put in charge of trying to limit the activity of other superheroes. This would certainly not sit well with the Avengers, leading to them coming into conflict with former foes once again. Thunderbolts can give the villains the upper hand, though, thanks to the Sokovia Accords. Since the MCU did not really explore what it would be like for heroes if the Accords were enforced, the Thunderbolts can be heroes to the general public but villains to the heroes - doing what Captain America: Civil War and the rest of Phase 3 failed to do.
Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn't until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.