Marvel Studios recently released the first trailer for Thunderbolts* - you can read our breakdown here - but an official project profile for the movie shared by Disney reveals two unexpected casting additions.
The first is Chris Bauer, a prolific actor who has delivered memorable turns in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, For All Mankind, and Heels among many other projects. There's no word on who he's playing but we'd bet on it being a villain given what a great antagonist he's made in previous roles.
The bigger surprise is the addition of Wendell Pierce; the actor, who has more critically acclaimed performances to his name than we have room to list here, is perhaps known best for his work in The Wire.
However, he's also shown up in the likes of Jack Ryan, Suits, and Clemency. Pierce has been cast as The Daily Planet's Editor in Cheif, Perry White in James Gunn's Superman, meaning he'll make his MCU and DCU debuts in the space of a few months next year.
There's also no word on who Pierce will play in Thunderbolts* but this will surely have to be more than just a cameo appearance given what a huge talent he is.
The actor appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers a few months ago and was asked about his role as Perry White in the first DC Studios movie. He played coy but seems to be relishing the opportunity to board the DCU.
"The great James Gunn is directing that film. That's what I hear," Pierce teased. "You may know more about it than I do!"
"Like I said, I can remember my lines, but not my characters. I'm looking forward to this. I never grew up reading comics so I relied on my friends to tell me about it," he continued. "As you can see, I have a problem with memory. I'm excited about [it]."
Stay tuned for updates on Thunderbolts* (and Superman) as we have them.
Marvel Studios, and a crew of indie veterans, who definitely sold out, present Thunderbolts*, an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.
Confirmed cast members for Thunderbolts* include Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Geraldine Viswanathan replaced Ayo Edebiri in an undisclosed role now believed to be Songbird, while Lewis Pullman has taken over as The Sentry following Steve Yeun's unexpected departure from the movie. Both he and Edebiri are said to have left due to scheduling issues.
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 5, 2025.