Julia Louis-Dreyfus Might Be the Next Nick Fury of the MCU and Her Past Interview is Hinting That: ‘I did my share of kicking a*s’

The first superhero team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was last seen together in 2019 in Avengers: Endgame. The Avengers kept their differences aside and fought together to defeat Thanos. And since the deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow and the disbandment of the rest, the world now needs a new team.

Now, the MCU is going to have probably the second-best option to Avengers in the form of Thunderbolts. And just like Nick Fury began the Avengers initiative, it looks like Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character will become the mastermind behind assembling Thunderbolts.

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine Might Be the Next Nick Fury

After stopping Gravik and the events of Secret Invasion, Samuel L. Jackson was last seen as Nick Fury in The Marvels, where he was seen residing on a space station and meeting Kamala Khan, Carol Danvers, and Monica Rambeau.

After the disbandment of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers, Fury is now old and keeping an eye on threats from a distance with the remaining team he has. This leaves a void of a mastermind leader on Earth, and it looks like it will be filled in the upcoming movie Thunderbolts*.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has appeared thrice in MCU so far. She was seen recruiting John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, into some team and influencing Florence Pugh‘s Black Widow. She was last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the new director of the CIA. 

In the latest trailer of Thunderbolts*, she is again seen collectively talking with all the members of the new team of Thunderbolts, which is most probably assembled by herself. In an earlier interview with Entertainment Weekly, Louis-Dreyfus revealed she has taken some big steps in the upcoming movie.

In this film, she certainly takes advantage of people we’ve come to think of as underdogs and uses that to her advantage. It was fun for me to play a hyper-manipulative person who is about four steps ahead of everyone in the piece, and that was cool. And I did my share of kicking a*s.

Her comment hints at her role being similar to Nick Fury’s. However, although Fury hid some truth initially, his intentions were for the greater good. Instead of manipulating the Avengers, he directed them to fulfill a mission that was not at all for his personal benefit.

So far, de Fontaine has maintained her mystery. But she has hinted at some shady intentions, too. Recruiting a team of misfits with dark pasts and crime histories doesn’t seem positive in any way.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Potential Role in Thunderbolts*

It is well expected by now that de Fontaine will play a role similar to that of Nick Fury in assembling Thunderbolts. However, her intentions might just be the opposite of what Fury did with the Avengers.

Fury realized early on that Earth lacked the proper technology and team of defense from extraterrestrial threats. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. was there, it needed more, and the government was lagging way behind in this aspect.

That was when he came up with the Avengers initiative, which would be an independent body of people with special abilities that would work as a team to protect Earth. But the government never liked the idea. After Civil War, they got the chance to claim control over Avengers, but it was also not successful to the extent they wanted.

Now, de Fontaine might play the role of reclaiming government control over all the superbeings on Earth. An independent body like the Avengers would never allow the government to harness powers and resources that they can’t control for their personal agenda.

However, a team like Thunderbolts could be manipulated easily due to the stains they have on their characters. De Fontaine might work on behalf of the US government to fulfill its desires. With Thaddeus Ross becoming both the president and Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, it seems likely that the higher authorities might use Thunderbolts for their own benefit.

Thunderbolts* will be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Captain America: Brave New World will be released in theaters on February 14, 2025.