Wyatt Russell, known for his role as U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is determined to silence skeptics of the upcoming Thunderbolts film.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell explained how he and his co-stars aimed to defy expectations about the movie. Drawing parallels to his ice hockey career, he emphasized their collective drive to prove naysayers wrong.
"We approached this as a team with one goal: to create something uniquely ours and make critics regret their doubts," Russell stated.
"Coming from a sports background, I relish the challenge. If anyone dismisses this film without seeing it, I want to make them eat their words."
Russell noted Thunderbolts faces a unique hurdle—unlike Avengers, its antiheroes lack standalone origin stories that established earlier MCU hits.
The ensemble cast includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as Sentry, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Russell himself as U.S. Agent.
"These characters don't have extensive solo arcs in the MCU," Russell explained. "We're not dealing with Captain America or Iron Man here—these are the unconventional outsiders."
He described Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige's challenge to director Jake Schreier: "Take these underdog characters and make audiences care. That's exactly why we said 'Hell yes' to this project."
Russell highlighted his castmates' diverse backgrounds: "David Harbour built his career on Broadway. Sebastian Stan had established himself before Marvel. Florence Pugh? Same story. None of us became successful by playing superheroes first—we earned our stripes through unconventional paths."
Thunderbolts: The Complex Legacy of Marvel's Antihero Collective
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Sebastian Stan recently shared how financial struggles nearly derailed his career before landing the Winter Soldier role. The actor told Vanity Fair that residual payments from 2010's Hot Tub Time Machine sustained him before his 2011 MCU debut in Captain America: The First Avenger.
"I was at a professional low point," Stan recalled. "When my manager told me $65,000 in residuals came through, that check literally saved my career."
Stan's Bucky Barnes has since appeared in multiple Captain America films, Avengers crossovers, this year's Brave New World, and will return in next month's Thunderbolts. His inclusion in Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast list confirms both Bucky and U.S. Agent will remain pivotal MCU figures for the foreseeable future.
