MCU Star Challenges Thunderbolts Skeptics: 'Prepare to Eat Your Words'

Wyatt Russell, known for his role as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is determined to prove the skeptics wrong about the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell expressed his and his co-stars' commitment to transforming the film into something exceptional, challenging any preconceived notions that might deter audiences.

"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. He drew confidence from his ice hockey background, adding, "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.'"

The film boasts an impressive 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 himself as John Walker / U.S. Agent.

Russell elaborated on the film's unique position within the Marvel universe, stating, "There are no characters in this film, really, that have their own stuff in the Marvel universe that much. 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 also highlighted the diverse career paths of his co-stars, noting, "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 ImagesEarlier this month, Sebastian Stan shared insights into his career struggles before landing the pivotal MCU role of the Winter Soldier. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stan revealed that he was "saved" by a $65,000 residuals payment from Hot Tub Time Machine before portraying James "Bucky" Barnes in the original Captain America film. Stan played the antagonist Blaine in the 2010 American science fiction comedy before starring alongside Captain America actor Chris Evans in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger.

"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 reprised his role in subsequent films such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), various Avengers movies, this year's Captain America: Brave New World, and is set to return as the superhero in next month's Thunderbolts. His inclusion in Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal suggests that Bucky and other members of the Thunderbolts, including John Walker, will continue to be integral parts of the MCU moving forward.