Thunderbolts Director Has One Regret About a Major Removed Character

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Jake Schreier, the director, shares a regret about a character who didn’t make it into his MCU movie, Thunderbolts. This upcoming Phase 5 superhero film brings back various villains and antiheroes from diverse parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The final lineup for Thunderbolts deviates from those seen in the Marvel Comics, but an earlier version of the film would’ve included an unanticipated character joining the team.

Previously, it was disclosed by Schreier that Man-Thing was initially proposed for the team in the early concept of “Thunderbolts”. This would have placed the supernatural entity among a roster of characters comprising Ghost, US Agent, Taskmaster, Yelena Belova, and Winter Soldier – all portrayed as misconstrued villains. In an interview with The Wrap, Schreier expressed his single regret concerning Man-Thing: the director felt that the character wouldn’t have meshed well with the final film they produced. He admitted to regretting even suggesting the idea in public.

In my opinion, it’s unfortunate that the term “Man-Thing” was used in the past since it didn’t align with the final film we produced. However, I’m genuinely pleased with the movie we managed to create. Of course, there are always ways to improve, and there might have been instances where my performance wasn’t as strong as others, but overall, I believe we gave our best and took a swing at it.

It turns out that Man-Thing wasn’t part of the Phase 5 movie because he was set to make his comeback in the 2022 TV show “Werewolf By Night.” Although there was a chance for him to appear again within the MCU through the “Thunderbolts” project, the creators decided to explore other characters for their “Thunderbolts” team. It seems that the director has no objections to Man-Thing staying in the planning stages for now.

On May 2, 2025, the movie titled ‘Thunderbolts’ made its cinema debut. Now, it’s available for streaming on Disney+. Directed by Schreier, this Phase 5 MCU film features an impressive cast including Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Lewis Pullman.

Thunderbolts Was Right to Abandon Man-Thing

In a more conversational style, you could say: Man-Thing, though often misinterpreted and featured in Thunderbolts comics, would have definitely been an unusual fit amidst the team’s roster.

*Note: Thunderbolts is a Marvel Comics superhero team series.

In the movie “Werewolf By Night”, it was fitting to see Man-Thamp;#94;being a character associated with the supernatural like Elsa Bloodstone and Jack Russell, the storyline matched well with that realm. Conversely, “Thunderbolts” focused on street-level heroes rather than supernatural or cosmic beings, which makes Man-Thamp;#94;not aligning with the team dynamics of this series.

If Thunderbolts had taken a more science fiction approach, similar to Guardians of the Galaxy or DC’s The Suicide Squad, Man-Thing could have been part of the team in a role like Groot or King Shark. However, Marvel Studios chose a more realistic direction for the team, which eventually became known as the New Avengers.

The implication here isn’t that Marvel has abandoned their plans for Man-Thing; instead, it leaves room for the character to play a substantial role in shaping the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

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2025-09-13 11:04