MCU Star Challenges Thunderbolts Skeptics: 'Prepare to Eat Your Words'

Wyatt Russell, known for his role as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is determined to prove skeptics wrong about the upcoming Thunderbolts film. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell shared insights into the cast's collective drive to challenge any negative preconceptions surrounding the movie. Drawing from his background in ice hockey, he expressed a competitive spirit aimed at turning doubters into believers.

"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 further emphasized his personal motivation, saying, "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 of Thunderbolts, noting that it's not a "primed movie" in the traditional sense. Unlike the Avengers, whose members have their own origin stories leading into the team-up films, the characters in Thunderbolts are less established within the MCU. The film stars a diverse cast including 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 himself 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 explained. He emphasized the film's focus on "misfit types," a challenge embraced by director Jake Schreier and the cast, as set forth by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.

Russell also touched on the varied career paths of his co-stars, noting that many of them, including himself, did not rise to fame solely through Marvel. "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."

The Thunderbolts: The Tumultuous History of Marvel's Twisted Super-Team

View 11 ImagesEarlier this month, Sebastian Stan opened up about his career struggles before landing the pivotal role of the Winter Soldier in the MCU. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stan revealed that a $65,000 residuals payment from his role in the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine was a lifeline during a challenging period. He played the antagonist Blaine in the sci-fi comedy before starring alongside Chris Evans in 2011's 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 since become iconic, reprising the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), various Avengers films, and the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. He is also set to return as the Winter Soldier in next month's Thunderbolts. With his name included in the cast reveal for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, fans can anticipate seeing Bucky and other Thunderbolts members, including John Walker, continue to play significant roles in the MCU.