Marvel 's new Thunderbolts* trailer just solved a long-running MCU mystery. The upcoming blockbuster brings together a team of anti-heroes - including Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, John Walker, Ghost and Taskmaster - for a mission mandated by government agent Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

Thanks to its well-received first trailer, it has also generated one of the most positive early waves of anticipation of any Marvel Cinematic Universe project of the past few years. The early hype surrounding Thunderbolts* shouldn’t die down in response ...

Just like the early phases of Marvel Cinematic Universe turned B- and C-list heroes into the biggest stars on the planet, the next chapter of the mega-franchise intends to pluck side characters from passable movies and iffy TV shows for a team-up movie with high potential.