Thunderbolts* (a.k.a. *The New Avengers) blasts onto screens of all sizes when it lands on Disney+ on August 27. The latest Marvel Studios adventure arrives with strong home-viewing momentum and builds on its well-received theatrical debut, boasting an 88% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Last week, we sat down with Geraldine Viswanathan to talk more about her MCU debut as Mel, a character widely believed to be Melissa Gold. In the comics, she suited up as the heroic Songbird as a founding member of Baron Zemo's Thunderbolts.
During our conversation, Viswanathan talked to us about that, being on set for Thunderbolts*'s New Avengers reveal, the excitement surrounding her character, and whether there's a chance of romance for Mel and Bucky Barnes.
The actor also reflects on working with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, how it felt to walk into Avengers Tower for the first time, and Mel's possible return in Avengers: Doomsday.
You can check out our full interview with Thunderbolts* star Geraldine Viswanathan below.
Like many fans, I loved what Mel brought to this story. When Marvel approached you, and you started looking into this character, and you saw that Sonbird costume that everyone was speculating about for a while, what was your initial reaction?
It was very exciting. The whole process at the beginning was so elusive. I had a Zoom with Jake, and he had to explain the movie to me, because I couldn't read it before signing on. He explained my role, and her arc, and her role within the film itself, and this deeper connection to the MCU. It was all so thrilling, and then you just take that leap of faith. Now being on the other side of that process, and just seeing how fun it is, this interaction with the fanbase, it's really unique and exciting.
A big part of this film is the New Avengers reveal, which was kept under wraps for a long time, and Mel is part of that scene in the background with Val announcing them to the world. What are some of your memories from set that day, and the intense secrecy around the scene?
It was such an incredible day, and it was one of the few days that I got to be on set with everybody in the cast. Being on that New York Street set was so massive and cool, and I think when I heard that...you know, they had to send the extras away. We shot a version not announcing the New Avengers, and then the real deal, just without any extras, and I think that's when it dawned on me how massive it is, what we're handling, and how cool it was. You feel like a little kid again. It's really fun.
Mel talks about being a kid when the events of The Avengers happened, which is now 13 years ago. What was it like being in that Avengers Tower set, which is such an iconic location for this franchise?
It really was so surreal. I have that line in the film, and I really was in high school when I saw The Avengers at the mall in my hometown. It's very full circle that I've now been in that Tower myself, causing havoc. The scale of everything, the detail, and the number of people that come together to create a set like that is really incredible. It's unlike anything I've experienced, so yeah, it was such a treat.
There's that great scene with Mel in Avengers Tower, when she comes back and she saves Val from The Sentry, and she pulls the trigger on him. I think it's a really unexpected moment, and I'd love to know what your take was on why she comes back to Val, even though she turned her back on her?
I justify it as, who wouldn't want to be as close to Julia Louis-Dreyfus as possible? That's kind of how I found my way into connecting with Mel's decision. She makes a hard choice and is maybe feeling a little bit more realistic and rational. I think she looks up to Valentina a lot. It is impressive, the position that she's in, and it can be very alluring. She wants to be great.
It's quite a complicated dynamic between them, and working with Julia on that must have been a really incredible experience for you, as you figured out the dynamic between Mel and Vall.
It was so fun. What a dream to get to work with Julia in that way, and to really make that dynamic our own. I think we wanted to steer away from it being too similar to Veep, and I think Julia was quite conscious of that. It was quite easy for me to imagine being intimidated and wanting to impress Julia, so I just drew on that.
When I spoke to Jake, he said that Mel is one of these characters who you introduce, with the door open to doing more with them down the line, like maybe her becoming Songbird. So, how would you kind of feel about taking her down that superhero route? Do you think that's, like, a good progression for the character?
I would love to see her go down that path and given the full evolution and Marvel treatment. I think that she deserves that, and there's a lot there to have fun with and play with. Yeah, I think she has more to do, you know?
The themes of this film have really resonated with people. Were you surprised by just how much heart and emotion were in it, or did you start getting glimmers of that while you were actually working on the film?
I kind of suspected as much, just because of the team that they hired to pull this off. I think Jake is such a special director and comes with such a perspective and style. I had a feeling, but I think because there's so much of the film that I wasn't privy to, I really did get to watch the film as an audience member, and be blown away by what they were able to pull off, and how effective it was, and how moving it was. I definitely cried the first couple of times I watched the film. I was just so surprised by the heart of it, and how funny it was, and how funny their dynamic is. I got the best of both worlds, taking in the impact of the movie.
Something fans have really gravitated towards is the potential romance between Bucky and Mel. A lot of people wanted to see that, so has it been part of the fun for you to see what fans have embraced, and what they've imagined for your character?
Absolutely! It's so fun! The fans are so funny, and it's so cool to watch their enthusiasm and their creativity in where they see things going. I'm really lapping it all up. I'm in the threads, being like, 'Yeah, what do you think of this dynamic or this story arc? Where do you see it going? It's really cool and fun to watch.
The New Avengers are going to be in Avengers Doomsday next year, so do you think we could see Mel and Val pop up in that?
We'll see! I'm not sure, but as Julie and I have been saying, we're available, and we'd be happy to.
Thunderbolts* is now available on Digital, 4K and Blu-ray. The film will stream exclusively on Disney+ August 27.