It’s still hard for a lot of fans to believe that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is in the MCU. Regardless, ever since she first appeared as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier back in 2021, Marvel has been building her character up as one of the franchise’s newest power players. One of the biggest projects currently on Louis-Dreyfus’ schedule is the studio’s highly-anticipated Thunderbolts movie, which arrives next year. And in a new sit-down with Variety, the actress confirmed that the film starts production in June.
So far, Louis-Dreyfus’ character (affectionately known as “Val”) has only made a handful of cameo appearances in various Marvel movies and TV shows, where she’s been seen working with anti-heroes like Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. More recently, she popped up in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which established her as the new director of the CIA and revealed that she was once married to Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross. However, as the leader of the titular super-team, Thunderbolts is should give her a lot more to do, something Louis-Dreyfus sounds very exited about.
“I actually pitched it,” said Louis-Dreyfus. “I told them I really, really want to fight. We’ll see if that happens. I haven’t seen the script yet.”
RELATED: David Harbour Hints at Big Introductions in Marvel’s Thunderbolts
Marvel previously confirmed the full Thunderbolts lineup during last year’s D23 Expo. Aside from Pugh and Russell’s characters, the team’s roster includes Red Guardian (David Harbour), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Harrison Ford is also expected to appear in the film as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking over the role from the late William Hurt. Originally, the film was announced as the final installment of Phase 5. But after the recent calendar shuffling prompted by Blade‘s delay, it’s not clear if this is still the plan.
Jake Schreier is directing Thunderbolts from a screenplay by Black Widow writer Eric Pearson. Marvel Studios will release the film on July 26, 2024.
Are you excited to see Louis-Dreyfus’ character play a bigger role in the film? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Thunderbolts Omnibus Vol. 1 HC
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
