Clueless ex-fan wants to jump back in

Clueless ex-fan wants to jump back in - needs help

Hello y'all! I put myself in a *little* bit of a pickle, and I need your help fixing it.

I used to be super into the MCU, like really, **really** into it, but like a lot of people, my enjoyment fell off somewhere around 2021-ish(?), and I haven't watched anything from Marvel since Loki S1 finished. Since then, I haven't really given much thought about it. Until now-

I promised my friend i would watch Thunderbolts\* with her on her birthday, which is the 21st of this month.

Long question short: How confused will I be if I do no prep before rolling up to her apartment to watch? And also, if i would like to not be confused, what's the absolute bare minimum of stuff I need to watch before I watch Thunderbolts\* with my friend? Can I get away with a youtube recap or do I really need to watch the film/show proper?

Anyone who answers gets my eternal thanks!

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Commentaires

urgasmic2026-01-10 04:34

the bare minimum is probably black widow/wakanda forever and a recap of falcon and the winter soldier and hawkeye.

caleighgoeshoot2026-01-10 04:42

Thanks!

King_Joeyw002026-01-10 04:51

If you’ve got time Hawkeye is definitely worth the full watch. One of the best shows they’ve put out.

Next-Tradition-92642026-01-10 04:38

The characters in Thunderbolts are mostly from the Black Widow movie. You likely already know everything about Bucky already, and they bring back Ghost from Ant-man 2. There is a minor reference to the Captain America: Brave New World, but having not seen that one myself, I didn't feel lost at all. The movie is really good, kinda the Marvel version of Suicide Squad. As long as you see Black Widow, you should understand most of it.

caleighgoeshoot2026-01-10 04:41

Oh sweet I loved Ant-Man 2!!!! Nice to see her getting more time, i remember liking Ghost a ton. Thanks for the answer!

MasterAnnatar2026-01-10 04:39

Thunderbolts mostly assumes you havent seen everything. Outside of Bucky basically every character character in the movie gets an elevator pitch that's like "Oh you're [X] and your thing is [Y]" (it's more elegant than that but you get the point).

caleighgoeshoot2026-01-10 04:42

Thanks! I was really worried, since I haven't been a fan in so long, but it's looking like I'm all set to jump in, lol

MasterAnnatar2026-01-10 05:14

Honestly this year they made a real concentrated effort to give people new jumping on points. Thunderbolts does a good job making sure that the stuff that leads in enhances the experience but isn't necessary. Fantastic Four is also set on an alternate earth so it requires literally 0 MCU knowledge.

elstephe2026-01-10 04:51

You'll be fine. I literally only knew Bucky when I saw it and loved it.

caleighgoeshoot2026-01-10 04:53

Thanks!

WD_G2026-01-10 05:06

Just for Thunderbolts*, you can just watch Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Wakanda Forever

You could also choose to watch a recap of those on YouTube, but I think that's up to your preference. Maybe a recap of Ant-Man and the Wasp, though! Unless you planned to do a rewatch at some point

caleighgoeshoot2026-01-10 20:36

Thanks! I wasn't really planning on a rewatch, but tbh the idea is feeling more appealing by the hour. I used to enjoying this once upon a time, maybe I could enjoy them again