It seems like with each passing year, there’s more actors who have an opportunity to play their part in a superhero movie. Whether it’s in the ever-expanding MCU, or a one off hit, there’s plenty of super stories (and talented actors to star in them) to go around. Melissa McCarthy’s new Thunder Force is a perfect example, giving some major actors a chance to work in the growing genre. The upcoming Netflix comedy has a stacked cast of superhero first-timers, but the funniest person on set may surprise you.
During an interview with some of Thunder Force’s stars, CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb asked who the funniest person on set was. Surprisingly, the cast rallied around Pom Klementieff, who comedy veteran Bobby Cannavale was delighted to work with on set. In his own words:
I mean Pom made me laugh pretty hard in that scene, there in the weight room or whatever that was, and they're working out. It was pretty hard to keep it together. Pom and I had never met and so I was really delighted to be surprised like that by somebody who I had never seen, you know, worked with before. So, I had a hard time keeping it together there with Pom and I think she's got a pretty solid deadpan.
According to Cannavale, who plays Thunder Force villain The King, Pom Klementieff’s comedy was not only surprising but also impressive. He went on to compliment the Old Boy star’s deadpan. Comedian (and upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder star) Melissa McCarthy also commended the actresses comedic chops:
Pom’s really funny to me. She's so willing to go anywhere and like so many of her comments, she was just weird as Laser and I just like, I loved it.
That’s pretty high praise from someone with the comedic talents of Melissa McCarthy. The Thunder Force star complemented Klementieff’s performance as Laser, one of The King’s super-powered villains. Co-star Octavia Spencer went on to also mention Klementieff’s surprisingly impressive deadpan capabilities:
Oh my god, I mean, I knew that I was going to have to keep together, opposite Melissa. But, and then in our scene together Pom surprised me because she just, I loved her deadpan.
While breaking character and on-set laughs are just part of working with someone as hilarious as Melissa McCarthy, Spencer noted that it was Klementieff’s portrayal of Laser that really surprised her on set. The villainous role is a major departure from Klementieff’s work as Mantis in the MCU, according to the actress:
You know, in the Marvel Universe I play more like an innocent or cute and weird kind of creature? In this one, she [Laser] is very powerful, unsure of herself, and destructive and completely evil, you know, that was really fun to play for sure.
Despite the destructive nature of Laser, it sounds like there was still plenty of room for levity. Thunder Force follows former-best-friends-turned-superhero-duo Lydia Berman (Melissa McCarthy) and Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) as they fight The King (Bobby Cannavale) and Laser (Pom Klementieff) to protect the city of Chicago. Based on the trailer, it looks like a hilarious take on the mega-block buster superhero flicks of the last decade.
Fortunately, fans don’t have to wait to check out Pom Klementieff’s comedic capabilities, as Thunder Force is now streaming on Netflix. The light-hearted superhero flick is a welcome sight, seeing as how a number of major superhero releases have been delayed over the past year. Hopefully Thunder Force can scratch the itch for some fans and squeeze in a few laughs to boot.
