Despite some unavoidable delays, such as those due to 2023’s industry strikes,Thunderbolts*seemed to have a smoother production than some of Marvel Studios’ other recent projects. It wasn’t plagued by extensive reshoots like some of its closest predecessors, and that comes through in the final product,which is already enjoying so much critical success. That being said, like most films, it still changed considerably during the writing process. DirectorJake Schreierrecently spoke about some earlier drafts of the film,noting that one in particular was similar to a certain Christmas movie starringBruce Willis.
‘Die Hard’ Inspired an Early Draft of ‘Thunderbolts*’
In addition to elevating Willis to superstar status, the originalDie Hardpopularized a particular technique in action movie filmmaking: Most or all violence takes place in or near a single location, usually because the protagonists are trapped there for one reason or another. The 1988 movie remains so popular thatmentioningDie Hardhas become a kind of shorthand to reference such premises, just as Schreier uses it. (Although it can also be used for any life-threatening event taking place during the Christmas holidays.)While speaking toGamesRadar+about the writing process forThunderbolts*, Schreier noted that one of the earliest drafts of the film, written byEric Pearsonand executive producerBrian Chapek, “was kind of like aDie Hardthing,” elaborating thatthe entire story “was all going to take place in this vault, and getting out of it.”
This suggests that that draft was likely a feature-length version of a sequence that exists in the finished film, in which Black Widow Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) encounter and battle one another in a mysterious facility before being interrupted by the outwardly unassuming Robert “Bob” Reynolds (Lewis Pullman). Trailers and other promotional materials for the film show that the facility is subsequently revealed as a death trap, with metal reinforcements sealing the windows and exits and flames being shot in through the ceiling.
“It Feels Strange Because It Is”: Florence Pugh Shows a Different Side of Yelena in ‘Thunderbolts*’
“It’s a movie that isn’t about the usual baddies versus goodies.”
Although the story eventually developed in a different direction that necessitated multiple settings, Schreier argues thatthe final film itself is still “a little bit more contained,” which does come across in the footage released ahead of the premiere. Although the film does seemingly feature a supervillain attack on New York City, this appears to be a sequence focused on a kind of supernatural horror, withthe villainous Void instantly vaporizing his victims or otherwise transforming them into shadows, rather than the more straightforward urban destruction found in past Marvel movies and similar blockbusters. Other than that, the action sequences shown in previews appear to keep the characters in relative isolation.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Choice to Move Beyond One Location Was for the Best
While this isolation should add to the sense of intimacy and intensity inThunderbolts*and a full movie version of the vault sequence is interesting to imagine, it may ultimately be for the best that the finished film moved away from this idea. This is especially so given thatMarvel has already delivered a few noticeableDieHardhomageswith past projects, including theHawkeyetelevision series, in which Pugh also appearedas Yelena. That show mainly emphasized itsDie Hardinspirations through the aforementioned contrast betweenviolence and the Christmas season, but it also recalls some more specific moments from the film, such as John McClane’s (Willis) famous jump from the top of Nakatomi Plaza, during which he is tied to a fire hose.
InHawkeye, Yelena rappels down the side of a building in Rockefeller Center in a similar manner, even firing a gun into one of the building’s windows like John does — although he does so simply to break the glass and facilitate his own landing, while Yelena is actually trying to kill Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). The latter scene also now comes across as an unintentional bit of foreshadowing forthe headline-making leapfrom the world’s second-tallest building that Yelena/Pugh performs inThunderbolts*.
The latter stunt has become central toThunderbolts*marketing, highlighting the production’s choice to prioritize practical stunt workover action that relies heavily on computer-generated imagery, as is common in other superhero movies. These tactics are clearly intended to help the film appeal to fans of older action movies likeDie Hardand other films from outside the superhero genre. And, again, the enthusiastic initial reviews of the film suggest that its approach has paid off, even if it ultimately decided not to embrace the more unconventional choice of setting an entire Marvel movie in a single location.
