The Marvel Cinematic Universe lacks the presence of the Avengers right now, which is where the Thunderbolts* movie gets to shine, marking the beginning of a new team in the franchise. While the MCU timeline has dealt with various teams throughout its run, Thunderbolts* will be tackling the concept of morally grey characters coming together for a greater cause. Not only does Thunderbolts* serve as the closing installment for Phase 5, but it’s also the culmination of a long setup.

One of the crucial players in the Thunderbolts* cast is Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who has been used as a seed to build up this new team since her arrival in Phase 4. With returning characters like Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, John Walker, along with Antonia Dreykov, Ava Starr, and Bucky Barnes, Thunderbolts* operates, in many ways, as a chance of redemption, while also taking a risk with someone like Valentina.

Ahead of the film’s premiere, ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier caught up with Louis-Dreyfus and MCU newcomer Geraldine Viswanathan, who plays Valentina’s ᴀssistant, Mel. The actors previewed how their dynamic is tackled in Thunderbolts*, cautioning that audience members should look more beneath the surface with these types of characters, while also exploring the concept of anti-villains in a franchise like the MCU.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Teases Val’s Newest MCU Chapter In Thunderbolts*

“I Just Loved Peeling Back The Layers On Val And Figuring Out What Makes Her Tick…”

As Val has now been appearing in various corners of the MCU over the last few years, Louis-Dreyfus was more than thrilled to finally have a chance where her character’s plan could be properly explored in Thunderbolts*. “It was a complete treat for me to really get material that I could sink my teeth into for this,” Louis-Dreyfus shared as she “loved peeling back the layers on Val and figuring out what makes her tick, why she’s built the way she is, and to see her in action in lots of different ways.”

“She’s three steps ahead of people, and then all of a sudden the ground shifts underneath her and she has to pivot, and she does it,” the actor explained, praising her onscreen counterpart. “So, it’s fun to see her find her way through in a very powerful way in the film.”

Geraldine Viswanathan Reflects On Joining The MCU Franchise Through Thunderbolts*

“I Feel Like I’m Learning A Lot From Them, And I’m Loving The Reddit Threads”

When it came to Viswanathan’s first entry in the MCU, there has been a lot of speculation regarding her character “Mel,” with many fans theorizing that she is a legacy character like Marvel’s Songbird. As she was asked how much fun she has had seeing fans connecting the dots for the character she’s playing and what they will be seeing on screen, the Thunderbolts* newcomer is all about the enthusiasm.

“It’s so fun. It’s so cool to just feel the enthusiasm from the fan base, and they know this universe inside out. I feel like I’m learning a lot from them, and I’m loving the Reddit threads,” Viswanathan said while happily telling fans to “keep it going.”

If one were to work for Val, many would likely feel a lot like Mel, as Viswanathan talked about their dynamic in Thunderbolts* while also teasing her overall arc, as she stated that “I think Mel really comes into this with a lot of big ideas and big dreams for the future. I think she’s really smart and ambitious, and she knows that she will do something great, but just doesn’t know exactly where she fits in with that yet.”

When it comes to working for someone like Val, who Viswanathan refers to as “a very powerful, successful woman,” she also added that Mel “looks up to her in a lot of ways, but she’s then confronted by the more complicated, darker sides of that and the reality of how to get to that position. I thought that was really compelling for me. I feel like a lot of young people can identify with that. Yeah, I thought her inner struggle was really interesting.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Loves Expanding The Presence Of Anti-Villains In The MCU

“She’s Somebody Who’s Complicated…”

As Louis-Dreyfus has hinted that Val is more of an anti-villain in the MCU, the Veep star went deeper into expanding on what that label means for her and whether or not there is a part of her character that she would actually root for. “You bet. I mean, you have to root for your character, even if your character is a bad character,” Louis-Dreyfus replied while also stressing that Val isn’t simply another one-off bad guy in Thunderbolts*.

“When you’re playing the character, you cannot judge. But I think Val’s not just a bad guy walking into a scene,” while making it clear that Val is “somebody who’s complicated, and you’re not sure what the move is she’s going to make, and you’re not sure what her intention is. I like that! She’s a bit of an enigma, and that makes sense.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Geraldine Viswanathan Share Their MCU Expectations

“We’re Really In It Together”

When it comes to MCU expectations, Louis-Dreyfus teased that fans who will see Thunderbolts* in theaters should be ready to see the foundation of her character, stating that “I think fans are not expecting to see the genesis of Val’s trauma.”

As Viswanathan becomes part of the MCU, the Thunderbolts* actress already knows which Avenger or Thunderbolt character she would want to team up with in a future film, with her response being none other than Sebastian Stan’s Bucky, stating that “I feel like I’m going to be loyal and go with my buddy Bucky Barnes. We’re really in it together.”

To finish off the Thunderbolts* interview, Louis-Dreyfus talked about working with Jake Schreier on the film, stressing that it was “was an utter delight,” while adding how she “really relied on him because his vision was so present. He really knew what he was doing, thank God. When there were issues of tone or issues of character integrity, you could have a proper conversation with him about it, and he would be there for you. He’s the real deal.”

Check out our other Thunderbolts* interviews with:

• Florence Pugh (“Yelena Belova”)
• David Harbour (“Alexei Shostakov”) & Wyatt Russell (“John Walker”)
• Lewis Pullman (“Bob”) & Hannah John-Kamen (“Ava Starr”)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Valentina Allegra de Fontaine”) & Geraldine Viswanathan (“Mel”)
• Jake Schreier
• Eric Pearson

Source: ScreenRant Plus

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