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 of the upcoming Thunderbolts movie wrong. In a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell highlighted the collective ambition of the film's cast to transform any doubts into a showcase of their talent and dedication. Drawing from his own background in ice hockey, Russell expressed a personal drive to silence critics.

"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 emphasized his athletic background as a source of 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 also discussed the unique challenge presented by Thunderbolts, noting that unlike other Marvel movies, it does not rely on characters with established origin stories. "Thunderbolts presented a challenge because it is not a 'primed movie,'" he explained, indicating that the film's anti-heroes do not have their own lead-up movies as seen with the Avengers.

The ensemble cast of Thunderbolts includes 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 continued, underscoring the film's focus on lesser-known characters. "It's not Captain America, it's not Thor, it's not Iron Man, it's not the Avengers. Thunderbolts is more of these misfit types. And that challenge that Kevin Feige gave Jake [Schreier] and this particular group of actors, it was like, 'Hell yeah.'"

Russell also highlighted the diverse career paths of his co-stars, noting that many did not achieve fame through traditional superhero roles. "I don't want to speak for everybody, but most of us didn't make it by doing this. Everybody didn't come to this as a young person and make it this way. 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

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Earlier this month, Sebastian Stan shared insights into his career struggles before securing his pivotal role as the Winter Soldier in the MCU. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stan revealed how a $65,000 residuals payment from his role in the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine provided him with a financial lifeline just before he landed the part of James "Bucky" Barnes in 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 integral to the MCU, with appearances in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, multiple Avengers films, and the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. He is also set to reprise his role in next month's Thunderbolts. Additionally, Stan's name was included in the cast reveal for Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday, indicating that fans can expect to see Bucky and other Thunderbolts members, including John Walker, continue to play significant roles in the MCU.