Marvel might have the next TV hit with ‘Thunderbolts’
Rumours are swirling around the internet about a possible deal between Marvel and Netflix to create a Thunderbolts TV show
It looks like Marvel may be in talks with Netflix to commission a brand new TV series in a calculated strike against DC Comic’s Suicide Squad film. The Hashtag Show reported today that, according to insider knowledge, Netflix are in the process of making a deal to make a Thunderbolts TV series.
If you don’t know who the Thunderbolts are, it’s easy, they are the Suicide Squad but for Marvel. The main difference is that while Marvel may have some very interesting heroes they have a woeful lack of good super villains.
Can you name any of the characters in the above picture? No, well that’s okay it took me a few hours to get some of the crazy Z-listers in the background. The reason for this is that Marvel have always preferred to develop nemesis villains for their superheroes to be constantly facing off against so most of the lesser known villains either appear in one off stories or they are henchmen. The Suicide Squad works because DC Comics have few nemesis villains, save the Joker and Lex Luthor, and instead have taken the time to build up a lot of smaller enemies into fully fledged characters. There is one easy way for Marvel to side step this issue however…
…by using that team. In the most recent iteration of the Thunderbolts the team was made up of a series of anti-heroes including Red Hulk, Elektra and Punisher. This could work with both Elektra and Punisher set to appear in the next season of Daredevil and Red Hulk set to make his debut in Captain America Civil War. Although Netflix wouldn’t be able to put Deadpool in the series, as he is owned by Fox, they could still have the more heroic version of Venom through their deal with Sony.
With this team the Thunderbolts could become a seriously interesting series with potential to beat Suicide Squad to the punch as the definitive villain super hero team. There is also the chance they could go for the weird and wacky original Thunderbolts line-up with such great characters as the Eel, the Fixer and Porcupine (personally I’d just be happy with a Porcupine series but there you go…).
