The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to big screen adventures and live-action shows available with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Thunderbolts, which will feature an ensemble cast full of Marvel antiheroes. The cast list of Thunderbolts includes Geraldine Viswanathan, who replaced Ayo Edebiri after a scheduling conflict got in the way of her appearing. And her latest funny take on replacing the Bear star shows just how close the two actresses are.
What we know about Thunderbolts' contents is limited, so discourse and rumors surrounding the project are all over the internet. Both Steven Yeun and Ayo Edebiri ended up having to drop out of the project due scheduling issues connected to the movie's strike-related delays. But the latter actress is friends with her replacement, and Viswanathan spoke to THR about their relationship, saying:
Ayo and I go way back, and she’s actually looking after my car right now in L.A. That Kia Nero is the love of my life, and Ayo is one of my closest friends. She was really instrumental in my decision to take the role, and it’s been nice to be able to talk about it with somebody who knows what it is.
Now that's friendship. And it seems like the bond shared between the pair really encouraged Viswanathan to take on her buddy's role in Thunderbolts. We'll just have to wait and see exactly what that character gets up to in the forthcoming blockbuster.
While some moviegoers might be bummed about Ayo Edebiri dropping out, especially given her recent Emmy win for The Bear, it's heartening to see how close she and her replacement are. And I'm eager to see how Geraldine Viswanathan's performance plays out on the big screen for Thunderbolts.
The specifics of the role itself are largely a mystery, but it was reported that Viswanathan's unnamed character will be an assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The Seinfeld icon has appeared in a number of Marvel projects like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as the Black Widow credits sene. But Thunderbolts will be her first starring role, and it looks like we'll also be meeting more members of her team like her assistant.
It's been years since Avengers: Endgame was released back in 2019, and the MCU as a whole hasn't had a ton of crossover moments since then. Thunderbolts will offered a change in this regard, but instead of heroes uniting we'll be seeing a number of former villains form the titular team. And since Avengers 5 just got a title change, Thunderbolts might be all the more vital to the shared universe as a whole.
Thunderbolts is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 2nd, 2025. While we wait, check out the 2024 movie release dates.
