'Thunderbolts*': Where You Recognize the Cast From
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest team-up film introduces the Thunderbolts, a squad of antiheroes specifically chosen by the Contessa (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to take on a dangerous mission together for a chance at redemption. The film’s main cast, which includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) have been seen in previous MCU projects, though most have not interacted until now.
Even if you haven’t seen the entirety of the MCU, though, you’ll probably recognize these actors from their previous work outside Marvel. This guide will explain where you’ve seen the Thunderbolts* cast and where to watch their best movies and shows on streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.
Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova)
Reprising her role from Black Widow and Hawkeye, Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, a highly-skilled spy and assassin who is the adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Pugh burst onto the scene in 2019 with her starring role as Dani in the psychological horror thriller Midsommar. The same year, she earned an Academy Award nomination for playing Amy March, the youngest of four sisters coming of age during and after the Civil War, in Little Women. You may also recognize Pugh from Oppenheimer, where she plays the lover of the eponymous scientist (Cillian Murphy), and Dune: Part Two, where she plays Princess Irulan.
Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes)
Of the Thunderbolts* cast, Sebastian Stan has by far the most Marvel credits to his name. The film marks the tenth appearance of Bucky Barnes, who has been seen in eight previous MCU films starting with Captain America: The First Avenger, plus the series Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Outside of the MCU, Stan is best known for taking on roles based on real people including Tonya Harding’s (Margot Robbie) boyfriend (later ex-husband) Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy, and Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Stan’s roles in Pam & Tommy and The Apprentice earned him Emmy and Academy Award nominations, respectively.
Wyatt Russell (John Walker/US Agent)
Wyatt Russell is back as John Walker, reprising the role from Falcon and the Winter Soldier. After a brief stint succeeding Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as Captain America, the Contessa has given Walker a new title: U.S. Agent. Russell is also known for playing real-life murderer Dan Lafferty in Under the Banner of Heaven and Lee Shaw in the Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a role he shared with his father, Kurt Russell. You may also recognize him from Black Mirror, where he played a VR playtester in the Season Three episode “Playtest.”
David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian)
Thunderbolts* features the return of David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian. The adoptive father of Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova and Soviet counterpart to Captain America was featured alongside Johansson and Pugh in Black Widow. Harbour is best known for playing police chief Jim Hopper in the hit show Stranger Things, a role that has earned his two Emmy nominations. He’s been with the show since the beginning and will reprise the role in its fifth and final season. He’s also played the title character in Hellboy (2019), Santa Claus in Violent Night, and a former professional racer in Gran Turismo.
Olga Kurylenko (Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster)
Another member of the Thunderbolts who debuted in Black Widow, Olga Kurylenko plays a new version of Taskmaster named Antonia Dreykov. Though she keeps Tony Masters’ photographic reflexes, Dreykov is a Red Room agent who was brainwashed by her father to carry out missions. Before joining the MCU, Kurylenko was best known for playing Camille Montes in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace. She also played Julia Harper, wife of Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) in Oblivion, Soviet pianist Maria Yudina in The Death of Stalin, and a Russian spy in Treason.
Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr/Ghost)
Hannah John-Kamen’s MCU debut was back in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, which introduced a female version of the antihero Ghost named Ava Starr. This iteration of Ghost shares her comic book counterpart’s invisibility and intangibility powers, though her backstory and goals are entirely different. Outside of that, John-Kamen starred as Jill Valentine in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, taking over a role played by Sienna Guillory in previous Resident Evil films. She also appeared in two episodes of Black Mirror, Season One’s “Fifteen Million Merits” and Season Three’s “Playtest” alongside Thunderbolts* costar Wyatt Russell.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine)
Playing the mysterious and corrupt noblewoman who brings the Thunderbolts together is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Thunderbolts* marks Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s fourth MCU outing following appearances in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Louis-Dreyfus, of course, is a TV comedy legend who got her start as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. She’s best known for playing Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Selina Meyer on Veep. Louis-Dreyfus has 11 Emmys, including six consecutive wins for her performance in Veep. Additionally, she starred in the film Enough Said alongside James Gandolfini in one of his final roles.
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