"MCU Star Challenges Thunderbolts Critics: 'Prepare to Eat Your Words'"

Wyatt Russell, known for his role as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is determined to silence the skeptics surrounding the upcoming Thunderbolts film. In a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell highlighted the cast's collective resolve to turn any negative preconceptions into a triumph.

"We came to this as a group of people who were like, 'Let’s make this our own thing, let’s make it great and let’s make people put their foot in their mouths,'" Russell explained. Drawing from his background in ice hockey, he expressed a competitive spirit, eager to prove detractors wrong: "I have a little bit of an athletic background, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to make you eat your words if you’re like, this movie’s going to blow, I don’t want to go see it.'"

Russell also touched on the unique challenge that Thunderbolts presents. Unlike the well-established Avengers, Thunderbolts is not built on a foundation of individual origin stories. "Thunderbolts presented a challenge because it is not a 'primed movie,'" he said, indicating that the film's characters—labeled more as anti-heroes—do not have their own lead-up movies.

The film boasts a stellar cast, including Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry/Void, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, and Wyatt Russell reprising his role as John Walker/U.S. Agent.

Russell elaborated on the cast's diverse backgrounds, noting that many of them have had varied careers outside of Marvel. "It’s not Captain America, it’s not Thor, it’s not Iron Man, it’s not the Avengers. [Thunderbolts] is more of these misfit types. And that challenge that Kevin Feige gave Jake [Schreier] and this particular group of actors, it was like, 'Hell yeah.'"

He further highlighted the unique journeys of his co-stars: "I don’t want to speak for everybody, but most of us didn’t make it by doing this. Everybody didn’t come to this as a young person and make it this way. I did weird TV shows for a million years, and David [Harbour] has been acting on Broadway [since 2000]. Sebastian had a whole career before he joined Marvel, and while he’s been a part of it for so long, he’s also done so many incredible things outside of Marvel. It has not defined him. Florence, same thing."

The Thunderbolts: The Tumultuous History of Marvel's Twisted Super-Team

View 11 ImagesIn a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Sebastian Stan shared his own career struggles before landing the pivotal role of the Winter Soldier in the MCU. He revealed that a $65,000 residuals payment from his role in the 2010 film Hot Tub Time Machine was a lifeline during a challenging period. "I was actually struggling with work," Stan admitted. "I had just gotten off the phone with my business manager, who told me I was saved by $65,000 that came in residuals from Hot Tub Time Machine."

Stan's portrayal of James "Bucky" Barnes began with 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger alongside Chris Evans. He reprised the role in subsequent films, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), various Avengers movies, and this year's Captain America: Brave New World. He is set to return as the Winter Soldier in the upcoming Thunderbolts film. Additionally, Stan's involvement was confirmed in Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal, suggesting that Bucky and other Thunderbolts members, including John Walker, will continue to be significant figures in the MCU.