Wyatt Russell, known for his role as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is determined to silence the skeptics surrounding the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell shared insights into the cast's collective drive to exceed expectations and create something special.
"We came to this as a group of people who were like, 'Let’s make this our own thing, let’s make it great and let’s make people put their foot in their mouths,'" Russell stated. He emphasized his athletic background, particularly in ice hockey, as a motivating factor to prove doubters wrong. "I have a little bit of an athletic background, so I was like, 'Yeah, I want to make you eat your words if you’re like, this movie’s going to blow, I don’t want to go see it.'"
Russell highlighted the unique challenge Thunderbolts presents, noting that it's not a "primed movie." He explained that unlike the Avengers, the characters in Thunderbolts—often anti-heroes—don't have established origin stories leading into the film. This aspect adds an extra layer of difficulty but also opportunity for the cast and crew.
The Thunderbolts ensemble includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry/Void, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent.
"There are no characters in this film, really, that have their own stuff in the Marvel universe that much," Russell added. He contrasted the film's protagonists with more mainstream Marvel heroes like Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man, describing the Thunderbolts team as "misfit types." Russell praised the challenge set by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and director Jake Schreier, which energized the cast.
Reflecting on the diverse backgrounds of the Thunderbolts cast, Russell noted that many of them had varied careers before joining the MCU. "I did weird TV shows for a million years, and David [Harbour] has been acting on Broadway [since 2000]. Sebastian had a whole career before he joined Marvel, and while he’s been a part of it for so long, he’s also done so many incredible things outside of Marvel. It has not defined him. Florence, same thing."
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Earlier this month, Sebastian Stan opened up about his career struggles before landing his pivotal role as the Winter Soldier in the MCU. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stan revealed how a $65,000 residuals payment from his role in the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine played a crucial part in his journey to playing James "Bucky" Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger.
"I was actually struggling with work," Stan admitted. "I had just gotten off the phone with my business manager, who told me I was saved by $65,000 that came in residuals from Hot Tub Time Machine."
Stan's portrayal of Bucky Barnes has been a cornerstone of the MCU, reprising the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, multiple Avengers films, and the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. He is set to return as the Winter Soldier in next month's Thunderbolts. Additionally, Stan's name was featured in the cast reveal for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, indicating that Bucky and other Thunderbolts members, including John Walker, will continue to be integral to the MCU's future.
