Thunderbolts* Director Discusses Film's Emotional Depth, Cut Scenes

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* features a climactic sequence in which characters confront their deepest regrets inside metaphysical 'shame rooms,' triggered by the Sentry’s alter ego, the Void. While the film shows the shame memories of Yelena, John Walker, Valentina, and Bob, director Jake Schreier revealed that scenes exploring the past traumas of Bucky, Ghost, and Red Guardian were written but ultimately cut to focus the emotional climax on Bob’s internal battle. Schreier described Red Guardian’s shame room as set in a gulag, Ghost’s as reflecting her loneliness in an orphanage, and Bucky’s as intentionally less obvious, with one idea involving a shameful Boy Scout camp memory. The team ultimately helps Bob overcome his trauma, allowing him to escape the Void and restore New York City. The decision to trim additional shame room sequences was made to keep the film’s finale from becoming too crowded and to maintain clarity in the story’s emotional resolution. This approach highlights the filmmakers’ emphasis on character-driven storytelling within the action-heavy Marvel formula.