Unmasking 'Thunderbolts*' : Behind the Scenes with Director Jake Schreier

From Marvel's mystery wardrobe, hails a hotshot film director, Jake Schreier. Behind his career's many notches, one still seems a bit dubious – working out the best label for his latest blockbuster – a Marvel film with an alias.

"Thunderbolts*", as it tands, hides a dramatic final-reveal. The intriguing asterisk present in the title finally portrays "The New Avengers", a team constituting Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Sentry (Lewis Pullman). These characters reluctantly band together under the cunning persuasion of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).

Once the film hit the screens during the opening weekend, marketing teams were swift on the draw – replacing 'Thunderbolts' with the new name everywhere. A transformation, Schreier explains, he appreciates even as 'Thunderbolts' hogs his consciousness. For him, it is the outcome of a healthy three-year association with the original name. The term 'New Avengers' had not been inscribed in the scripts until the very day it was unveiled, staying true to Marvel's love for mystique.

For the director, the film seems to go by both names, a slightly humorous yet fascinating brush with multiple monikers. However, Schreier partook in not only the name-swapping shenanigans. He admits to having a role in altering the fate of the film's character, Taskmaster, an aspect met with mixed reactions from the audience.

According to Schreier, the decision wasn't made lightly. He believed that the previous script lacked an emotional impact, wanting the audience to grasp the harsh reality of the characters being contract killers. Hence he endorsed decisions that made the characters reflect their dangerous lifestyles realistically.

On a lighter note, Schreier recalled an entertaining series of events leading to the creation of an amusing trailer. What started as a jest on the set with a mock trailer, found its way to the desk of Kevin Feige, Marvel's president. To Schreier's amusement, his spoof was taken quite seriously, and the marketing team utilized it to create an actual trailer.

Delighted by the pleasant surprise, Schreier reflects on the passionate devotion of his crew members highlighted in the trailers in a fun way. This a testament to their hard work and commitment.

As he headed to viewing sessions with audiences, Schreier expressed his astonishment at the massive scale of viewership these films receive. Emphasizing on the importance of the theatrical experience in sharing, discussing and even critiquing movies, he is just glad to have been part of a film that breathes such a life.