David Harbour Says the Thunderbolts All “Hate” Each Other

by Justin Hermes · December 10, 2024

A new kind of super team is set to assemble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) when Thunderbolts* arrives in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Unlike the Avengers, the Thunderbolts are comprised of antiheroes and former villains who operate in a morally gray area.

Under the watchful eye of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julie Louis-Dreyfus), the new team will be comprised of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and U.S. Agent ( Wyatt Russell).

Photo: Marvel

“Be careful who you assemble,’ the film’s first trailer warned.

A “Real Movie”

While Thunderbolts* will be set during Marvel’s Multiverse Saga, the film promises to deliver a more grounded, character-driven story than many of its MCU brethren.

In a recent interview with Inverse, David Harbour, who will reprise his Black Widow role as Red Guardian in the film, gave fans a preview of what to expect.

Source: Marvel Studios

“I don’t know that any of ’em get along. They’re thrust together as the worst people in the worst situations.” The actor further added, “I think that’s the fun of the movie is that it’s the opposite of a love triangle. This person hates this person, hates this person, hates this person, and is annoyed and wants to get rid of this person.”

When comparing Thunderbolts* to other films, Harbour called the film a “real movie.”

Photo: Marvel

“Marvel is excited by its expansion, to a certain degree. And also, I think they’re doing a bit of a course correction around getting too big, in a way, with the Disney+ stuff. I’m very excited for you guys to see Thunderbolts*, he told CinemaBlend.

Photo: Marvel

“Because, I’m impressed with the direction they took that. And it’s surprising. It’s a real movie. I mean, whether you like it or not, who knows? But… I saw a cut of it, and it’s very impressive.”

The Chemistry Between the Cast

While the Thunderbolts members may fight on-screen, behind the camera, Harbour says there was real chemistry between the cast members.

Photo: Marvel

“That’s what the film allows for. They do the good things that Marvel does well. But they also… they’re paying attention to chemistry. And I think there’s something about this group that’s special. That to me felt like when you watch Scarlett Johanssen and Chris Evans. When you watch these chemistries of people that – not to say that there’s romantic ties, but just the chemistry of human beings interrelated,” he explained.

Photo: Marvel

“I think that’s what we need in these movies. Because we want to identify. We want to have an emotional hook when you see what Downey’s doing with this vulnerability, and this humanity. You have all this fun, and then you have – at the center of it – a real person. And I think it’s just electric.”

Marvel Returns to Earth

In the lead-up to Thunderbolts*, the cast has made it clear that the film set out to tackle human issues, including grief and mental health. From the sound of things, Marvel is shifting its focus from the cosmos and the multiverse back down to the human level.