Thunderbolts Has Found Its Villain?
An unconfirmed rumor states Marvel wants to make Hyperion the villain in the Thunderbolts movie.
As Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts film finally begins to take shape, rumors are beginning to circulate as to who the superhero team will be battling. That includes an interesting rumor that a character named Hyperion will be the antagonist in Thunderbolts, which releases on July 26, 2024. Independent reporters Daniel Richtman and Grace Randolph have discussed the possibility of Hyperion in Thunderbolts but haven’t confirmed it, but it would be an intriguing choice to face off against Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour.
Thunderbolts News is claiming that Marvel wants a big-name actor to play Hyperion, an A-list actor that hasn’t done a comic book movie before. All of these rumors are pure speculation, and should be taken with a grain of salt, especially since no actor has been cast or even widely speculated. However, given the character’s history in Marvel, it would be an interesting development and could define the tone and direction of the film.
Hyperion has a long history in the Marvel comic book universe, well before the Thunderbolts, even if he isn’t very well known. He first appeared in Avengers #69 in 1969, the creation of writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema, and has been sometimes referred to as an evil “ripoff” of Superman, as he is also an alien who crash-landed on Earth as a child and is raised by blue-collar parents. However, he doesn’t abide by Superman’s core principle of “truth, justice, and the American way,” and is often a villain in some comic storylines.
However, unlike some Marvel characters, Hyperion has undergone changes throughout his history, often thanks to reboots and the multiverse, and has been both a hero and villain. His origin story and character arc have changed several times over the years, which would allow Marvel Studios to craft Hyperion however they see fit for Thunderbolts, who would likely put him in the villain or at least anti-hero role.
Having Hyperion appear in Thunderbolts would seem to fall in line with recent rumors that the Squadron Supreme would somehow be involved with the film. In some modern comic incarnations, Hyperion was a member of Squadron Supreme, which is often described as an evil version of the Justice League.
Thunderbolts is already boasting a great cast, with Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova/Black Widow), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent), Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster) and Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost) making up the Thunderbolts team. It has already been reported that Harrison Ford will appear as Thaddeus Ross (and even possibly as the Red Hulk) but adding an A-list star like Ryan Gosling or Alexander Skarsgard (two names that fans are suggesting) as Hyperion would give the film the epic antagonist it needs.
David Harbour has already hinted that the film’s ending will have a major impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “There is a bomb drop thing we add to the universe, which will be very exciting for the movie to do at the end of this particular phase that we’re ending,” he said.
There have been concerns the film will attempt to be Marvel’s version of the Suicide Squad, which would be a mistake, as it would unfairly tag the movie as a Suicide Squad ripoff, denying these actors the opportunity to create a truly unique superhero team in the post-original Avengers era. The Thunderbolts have some pretty epic incarnations in the Marvel comic books, and simply parroting the violent, wise-cracking antics of DC’s anti-heroes would seem like an inferior knockoff.
