Thunderbolts’ Ayo Edebiri Explains Why She’s ‘Excited’ To Join The MCU Movie

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney looking a little concerned in the finale of The Bear.
(Image credit: FX/Hulu)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to exciting projects on the small and silver screens. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts. That ensemble project is centered around a number of villains and antiheroes from the shared universe, while also introducing a few newcomers. The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri is one of those new faces making their MCU debut, and recently explained why she’s so “excited” to join the shared universe.

Ayo Edebiri’s role in the MCU is still a mystery at this point, but fans are eager to see her joining the Thunderbolts cast alongside some fan favorites. Fans are eager for any information about what the villain-centric Marvel flick will contain, especially those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. Edebiri spoke to Backstage about her upcoming MCU entrance, and expressed interest in doing something totally new to her. In her words:

I love being a sponge. I just want to learn as much as possible. I’m excited [for ‘Thunderbolts’] because I don’t know; and to me, that’s cool. I feel like those are always the situations that I’ve benefited from the most. If I don’t know what I’m going to learn, that’s the best possible scenario for me.

Sounds like a great attitude. Indeed, Ayo Edibiri’s credits include a variety of different projects. There’s the acclaimed TV drama The Bear, voicing April in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as well as the new comedy flick Theater Camp. She’ll be able to flex other muscles in Thunderbolts, presumably getting into some action in the process.

Thunderbolts’ story is being largely kept under wraps, although it looks like we’ll follow the titular team of characters as they become a unit and go on a mission. Said team will presumably be formed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who has been popping up in projects like Black Panther 2 and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. In addition to Edebiri, another newcomer joining the MCU in the movie is Harrison Ford, who is taking on the role of Thaddeus Ross following the death of Wiliam Hurt.

Much of the hype surrounding Thunderbolts is about the various superpowered antiheroes/villains who will be appearing in the forthcoming Marvel flick. This includes fan favorites like Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh’s Yelena. Also included are David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Ant-Man 2’s Ghost, Black Widow villain Taskmaster, and The Falcon and Winter Soldier’s U.S. Agent. 

Unfortunately, the wait for the MCU blockbuster is a bit longer, as Thunderbolts was recently delayed as a result of the ongoing strikes. It’s unclear when an agreement will end the strikes, and exactly when the villain-centric movie will begin filming.

Thunderbolts is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 20th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

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Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.