It has been almost two months since Thunderbolts* got here and went from the 2025 film schedule, however individuals nonetheless can’t get sufficient of that massive, but predictable, twist the place it was revealed that the ragtag group of outcast antiheroes was, in truth, The New Avengers. And whereas Marvel didn’t strive too exhausting to place out the flames of hypothesis – in any case, they added the notorious asterisk a 12 months earlier than the movie was launched – it was a unique story for the forged.
Florence Pugh, who performs the show-stealing Yelena Belova in one of many finest Marvel films in a while, spoke with Entertainment Weekly and opened up in regards to the nice lengths the forged and crew took to guard the massive reveal on set. Speaking in regards to the massive scene the place Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine holds a press convention and rebrands the group as The New Avengers, Pugh acknowledged:
We shot a model the place she was like, ‘The New Thunderbolts!’ And everybody was like, ‘Woo!’ After which we took all the background [actors] out and shot Julia’s line, which was type of cool.
Clearly, the reshot model was the one which made the ultimate reduce, and thank heavens, as a result of “The New Thunderbolts” simply doesn’t have the identical ring as “The New Avengers.” There are nonetheless numerous questions on who the true Avengers are and whether or not it is this model or the official group led by Sam Wilson, however this scene not less than gave us a fantastic second on the identical stage as Tony Stark’s “I’m Iron Man” presser on the finish of the MCU-starter again in 2008.
Although moviegoers solely came upon (or not less than had their suspicions confirmed) in Could 2025 that these Thunderbolts have been truly The New Avengers, it was a very completely different story for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In the identical chat with EW, the former Seinfeld forged mainstay revealed that she came upon in regards to the massive twist “a few years in the past,” stating:
I met with Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito a few years in the past, once they first pitched me this complete thought of enjoying Val, and so they pitched me this. So, I’ve actually identified for a very long time. I have not stated a factor to anybody!
Possibly Tom Holland, who has a historical past of being loose-lipped about MCU spoilers, ought to take some recommendation from the Veep actress, because it feels like she was sitting on this info for a really very long time. Although she didn’t say when that assembly occurred, Louis-Dreyfus has been part of the MCU for half a decade at this level. Did she know whereas filming Black Widow or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier? It’s anybody’s guess, however it wouldn’t be shocking if that have been the case.
If you wish to revisit Thunderbolts*, which appears to nonetheless be the official title judging by the upcoming dwelling launch of the second of three new Marvel films this 12 months, you’ll be capable of do this shortly when it lands on digital platforms on July 1 and bodily media on July 29. There’s no phrase on when it’ll be streaming for these with a Disney+ subscription, however count on that to alter quickly.