The Thunderbolts are coming to the big screen in much the way that fans were expecting. The chosen members represent mostly villains that fans fell in love with that will enjoy a warm reception upon their return. Unfortunately, for the newest group of superheroes to get the MCU's focus, they seem to be lacking in superpowers.

There has always been a wide variety of heroes in superhero comics. From street-level heroes who fight crime with their skills and weaponry to borderline gods who deal with cosmic forces of evil. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to use the wrong hero for the job from time to time.

RELATED: Defenders: What Thunderbolts Can Learn From Marvel's First Non-Avengers Team-Up

So, who did the MCU pick for their version of The Thunderbolts? The centerpiece appears to be Yelena Belova, a Black Widow with nearly-identical skills to Natasha Romanov. Bucky Barnes, known as the White Wolf or the Winter Soldier, joins with his vibranium arm and assassin skills. Red Guardian is yet another Russian attempt to recreate Captain America. U.S. Agent is the officially selected replacement for Captain America. Antonia Dreykov, the MCU's take on Taskmaster appears with her ability to mimic the fighting style of others. Finally, Ghost brings the ability to phase through solid objects to the party. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine seems to serve as a Nick Fury figure who can give the orders and call the shots. This is in no way a bad roster, but it is a bit lacking when it comes to variety.

Thunderbolts Marvel Ghost Yelena US Agent

Four of the six characters feature identical gimmicks to former Avengers, as well as one whose entire power set is dependent on callbacks. Two knock-off Captain Americas and one additional Black Widow. Almost everyone involved is an assassin, a super soldier, or both. A lot of jokes at the expense of the original Avengers lineup focused on Natasha and Hawkeye. Among gods and monsters, the spy and the archer always felt in over their heads. Marvel seems to have responded to this very tired critique by forging a team almost entirely out of characters just like them. The problem with this team will come in its action scenes. The original MCU Avengers lineup, as well as the bigger rosters introduced in sequels, featured distinct and identifiable power sets that made their contributions identifiable and visually exciting. It's always more engaging to watch a wide variety of powers and styles clash with the enemy, unique gimmicks combining and bouncing off of each other than to see everyone doing the same thing.

Interestingly, this problem is a result of the stated intention of the team-up. Marvel and Disney want to use this team as a celebration of characters that became popular but didn't get all the screen-time fans wanted. Unfortunately, the MCU has relied too heavily on villains that are dark reflections of the protagonist. Too many recent MCU baddies use the gimmick of knowing all the heroes' techniques and using them for evil. The "dark reflection" villain doesn't necessarily need to have the same power set as their nemesis, but Marvel has leaned heavily on the concept. The most interesting member of the MCU Thunderbolts from an action perspective is Ghost, who uses similar tech to Ant-Man and the Wasp in a new and interesting way. Bucky has led some excellent action scenes in The Winter Soldier and Civil War, but he's also the member of the team who has enjoyed the most screen time already. Interestingly, Marvel has run across this issue before.

While The Avengers has always featured an interesting and powerful roster, Marvel's second team of heroes hit a very similar wall. The Defenders was the capstone project of the Marvel Netflix series, and it brought its four street-level heroes together to face a new threat. Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist joined forces for a single season. Though three of those four heroes are beloved for their solo work, as a team, they feel too similar. They're all strong and capable martial artists. The action scenes grow samey when everyone's doing the same routine, and Marvel rarely has the power of a good martial arts movie to make it anything other than a mess.

The Thunderbolts could have pulled any number of interesting characters with unique power sets from the comics. Characters like Moonstone and Mach could've added interesting looks and styles to the team. Even if they only wanted to pull from the movies, Abomination or Karl Mordo could bring a bit more unique style to the party. It's unclear what The Thunderbolts will be up against in their first outing, but the film's crew will have to work overtime to make their crowded fight scenes feel unique and engaging. It's not the worst team they could've chosen, but a few superpowers would certainly have made for a stronger and easier team.

MORE: Marvel's Thunderbolts Project Is A Better Idea Than Another Avengers Movie