The movie Thunderbolts has seen a bit of creative and casting turmoil since it was announced. The film was originally going to star Steven Yeun as Sentry, but will now see Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick) as the antihero. In addition to Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan is taking over for Ayo Edibiri due to scheduling conflicts. Deadline was the first to the news.
Viswanathan and Pullman join an absolutely stacked ensemble cast that features Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster.
Jake Schreier is the director of the film with a script from Lee Sung Jin and Eric Pearson. The major plot points aren’t known but the basic story for Thunderbolts is about a group of villains who are sent on missions commissioned by the government. They do the jobs that regular heroes won’t or can’t do. The film releases in theaters in July 2025.
As far as scheduling issues go, Thunderbolts might have been the most impacted by the dual-WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes last year. It was originally supposed to film and be released by now, but those plans changed.
Who Is Geraldine Viswanathan?
Viswanathan is an actress who had a breakout role in Blockers. Her recent acting schedule has seen her in the TBS series Miracle Workers, Cat Person, and Beanie Bubble. She’s set to star in the upcoming film Drive Away Dolls alongside Margaret Qualley and the Amazon Comedy You’re Cordially Invited.
Lewis Pullman saw a breakout performance in Top Gun: Maverick and Bad Times At The El Royale.
In the comics, the Thunderbolts have comprised of Baron Zemo, U.S. Agent, The Winter Soldier, Yelena Belova, Ghost, Taskmaster, and Abomination. All of those characters have appeared in one way or another in the most recent phase of Marvel’s programming with Disney+ shows and movies.
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Source: Deadline