Fresh off his role in Jordan Peele’s “Nope” last year and his Oscar nomination for “Minari” the year before, Steven Yeun—who has seemed poised for a breakout role for a long time now—is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yeun will appear in “Thunderbolts,” a Marvel team-up movie with villains and anti-heroes due in August 2024.
Deadline breaks the news but doesn’t know the role. They do reveal that Yeun’s part is significant, and he could also play a role in the future in future films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let the speculation begin.
“Thunderbolts” could be seen as akin to “Captain America: Civil War” in that it’s not quite an “Avengers” movie, but it has a vast cast and will be seen as a kind of event film. “During Disney’s D23 event last year, the all-star cast was revealed: Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier/Buck Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster. “The Bear” breakout star Ayo Edebiri also recently joined the ensemble in an undisclosed role.
“Thunderbolts” will be directed by Jake Schreier (“Robot & Frank“) based on a script by “Black Widow” scribe Eric Pearson. The movie’s plot has not been revealed, but in the comics, generally, “Thunderbolts centers around a group of villains who are sent on missions commissioned by the government.
This all tracks. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is already a shady government figure, and most of the cast of Thunderbolts are either villains (Ghost, Taskmaster), anti-heroes (U.S. Agents), or morally compromised ex-villains turned reluctant heroes (Yelena, Red Guardian, Winter Soldier).
The Marvel character Sentry has been highly rumored to be a significant player in the film, so there will definitely be speculation that’s who Yeun is playing, but that’s not confirmed and anyone’s guess at this point.
It’s also unclear if Harrison Ford, who plays the new Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU following the death of William Hurt, who previously played the role, will appear in the film. But Kevin Feige did say that Ross, the former Secretary of State in the MCU, will be upped to the role of President of The United States in “Captain America: New World Order.” The character of Red Hulk, who Ross eventually transforms into in the comics, is also a member of the Thunderbolts team in the books (if it wasn’t obvious from his namesake).
Yeun had been previously spotted talking to Marvel’s Kevin Feige at parties and events, and it’s believed he’s been in dialogue with the Marvel super producer for many years. Stay tuned for more details when they arrive.
