“To have her blessings felt great”: Ayo Edebiri’s Million Dollar Gesture Towards a ‘Thunderbolts’ Star Despite Getting Replaced in the Marvel Film Proves She’s a Rare Gem
- Geraldine Viswanathan talks about replacing Ayo Edebiri in Thunderbolts.
- The actress teases about her role in the upcoming MCU movie.
- Wyatt Russell talks about his expectation from fans after watching Thunderbolts.
Directed by Jake Schreier, Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, starring Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, and more, is going to follow the antiheroes of MCU on a mission for the government. The movie is scheduled for a May 2025 release and is reportedly going to be the last movie in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thunderbolts is one of the most highly anticipated movies in the MCU, especially with a stellar cast. The first footage from the upcoming movie was shared with the audience at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, which has impressed ardent movie fans. Geraldine Viswanathan, in her recent cover story interview, shared how Ayo Edebiri has been supportive of her casting.
Geraldine Viswanathan talks about her MCU debut while replacing Ayo Edebiri in Thunderbolts
Variety reported that Emmy Award-winning actress Ayo Edebiri, who was a part of the ensemble of MCU’s Thunderbolts, had to drop out of the project due to scheduling issues. The actress became the second star to depart from the project after Steven Yeun reportedly departed in January.
Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan, who previously appeared in Blockers, Bad Education, Miracle Workers, and more, replaced the actress. In her recent cover story interview with Vanity Fair, Viswanathan talks about her entry into the MCU and working with super-stars. She said,
You try to shake that intimidation as quickly as possible. I just try to see what makes them human. Honestly, it’s usually when they mess up, like, ‘Cool. We can both mess up. You’re not a god, even though you kind of are a god.’
The actress shared that her first day on the sets of Thunderbolts was surreal for her, as she felt extra pressure to learn her lines and be ready for the movie. Viswanathan, who replaced Edebiri for the part, addressed the situation and shared with the publication,
It was fully good vibes. Ayo had a world at her feet and was like, ‘Go hang out with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’. To have her blessing felt great. They don’t show you the script until you sign on, so it was really helpful to talk to someone who knew what the goal was.
The Broken Hearts Gallery actress lastly added that she is bracing herself for the scrutiny that comes along with joining MCU projects, adding that if she feels it’s overwhelming, she’ll log off, but she likes discourse around pop culture. Viswanathan seems excited to be joining the ensemble cast, including Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbor, and more.
Geraldine Viswanathan describes Thunderbolts as ‘more existential and dark’
During her interview with Vanity Fair, the Australian actress was asked about the plot of the upcoming movie, which she described as not a typical superhero story. Viswanathan mentioned,
It felt a little bit edgier and fresher, more existential and dark.
According to GamesRant, the actress is going to play a character named Mel, which led to speculation that she could be playing Melissa Gold, also known as Songbird. Songbird according to the publication, is one of the original Thunderbolts with supersonic sound abilities that can cause a variety of effects. However, nothing can be confirmed at this time. In an interview with EW, Viswanathan shared,
Mel is in the world of Valentina. I’m kind of her little righthand man. And kind of going, ‘Wait a minute? Who is this, and what’s she doing? So we’re really paired up, which is a dream—it’s Julia Louis Dreyfus.
Earlier, Wyatt Russell, upon his appearance on MTV News (via ComicBook), also shared about the movie, stating that it’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as the audience has seen in the past. He mentioned that, according to him, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and he’s hopeful that fans will like it and say, ‘Oh, ok, this is a little bit different; let’s go hard at it.’ The actor, along with other cast members, is excited for the fans to watch it.
Thunderbolts is scheduled for a May 2025 release.
