Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is giving fans the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and for all intents and purposes, its a slightly darker chapter, but still very fun.

These characters aren’t your bright and shining superheroes. These are the “bad guys,” the folks who are hoping to remake their name and actually do something meaningful with their particular gifts and skills. But who are these folks before the events of Thunderbolts*? Here’s the primer you need before you go to the theater.

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh)

Yelena is Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow’s adoptive sister and was raised within a fake family created by the Russian government. The “family,” including Natasha, Belova and two Russian assassins named Red Guardian and Melina Vostokoff, were brought together to complete an undercover mission in America. Yelena became disillusioned once she realized her parents weren’t her real parents, but she and her family still came together to take down the destructive Black Widow program, which trained both Yelena and Natasha as children.

Yelena’s familial trauma got even worse thanks to Thanos; Yelena was part of the population that got snapped out of existence. As a result, Natasha sacrificed her life in order to help the Avengers gain possession of the Soul Stone, which helped power Thanos’ gauntlet and bring everyone back. Yelena eventually learned of Natasha’s sacrifice and tried to kill Hawkeye/Clint Barton, who she believed had killed Natasha for the stone. But once she learns the full truth, she forgives Hawkeye and now faces the task of finding a way to live with her grief.

Red Guardian (David Harbour)

The Russian super soldier Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov is Yelena’s adoptive father and a former Soviet assassin. By the end of the events of Black Widow, Red Guardian and his family have dismantled the Black Widow program, and now Red Guardian is on a journey to prove he can be a true superhero.

Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen)

Ghost, aka Ava Starr, was once a normal person until a quantum tunnel exploded. Not only were her parents killed in the blast, but she also gained the volatile power to pass through solid objects. Her new abilities caught the attention of SHIELD, who made her a spy by the codename Ghost.

Ghost started going after Hank Pym’s quantum technology once she realized their ability to access the Quantum Realm could help her stabilize her energy and live. But siphoning the Quantum Realm’s energy endangered Hank’s desire to save his wife, Janet van Dyne, who was also able to survive due to the same quantum energy. However, once Janet is saved, she helps Ghost stabilize her powers, saving her life. Now, without SHIELD, Ghost is a wayward woman with the skills Valentina needs for her new group of off-the-grid anti-heroes.

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)

Bucky is the childhood friend of Steve Rogers/Captain America. Barnes inspired Rogers to enlist in the Army, a decision that led Rogers to become the superpowered hero we know today. But after being presumed killed in battle, Barnes is captured by HYDRA and turned into the Winter Soldier, an assassin with the same super serum as Cap, but brainwashed to carry out his orders.

Rogers saves Bucky, and with the help of Shuri’s technology in Wakanda, Bucky is successfully deprogrammed and tries to make amends for his actions (which includes killing Iron Man’s parents as part of his brainwashed orders). Fast forward to Thunderbolts and we see Bucky has become a member of Congress.

John Walker (Wyatt Russell)

John Walker was a short-lived Captain America after Rogers hung up the mantle. But, as we find out in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Walker didn’t have what it took to actually fill Rogers’ shoes, even with Walker taking the super serum.

Walker’s sense of eye-for-an-eye justice led him to commit atrocities, such as killing, in the name of America’s safety. The American government frowned upon his actions, even though his same sense of deadly prowess as an Army soldier was what made him a celebrated candidate for the position in the first place. Disillusioned with the government and his role in safeguarding America, Walker eventually finds his way into the clutches of shady CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who recruits him to become U.S. Agent.

Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko)

Taskmaster, aka Antonia Dreykov, is the daughter of the Soviet General Dreykov, the overseer of the Red Room, where he would select girls to become Black Widows. He turned his own daughter into a Winter Soldier-esque brainwashed assassin after she was mortally injured during an assassination attempt on Dreykov’s life. (That attempt was carried out by none other than Natasha, and she believed Antonia to be dead for years until the events of Black Widow.)

Was he trying to save his daughter with his own technology or was he using his daughter’s tragedy as a means to an end? Probably both. But regardless, Taskmaster is told to go after Yelena, who found the Red Dust (the synthetic gas that can control assassins like the Black Widows). Eventually, Taskmaster herself is freed after inhaling the Red Dust and becomes an assassin for Valentina. However, Valentina then double-crosses her by sending her on a mission that she hopes will lead to Taskmaster getting killed by Ghost.

Thunderbolts*

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