Highlights
- Geraldine Viswanathan's character is speculated to be Melissa Gold, also known as Songbird.
- Lewis Pullman's character "Bob" hints at possibly being Robert Reynolds, a.k.a Sentry.
- The Thunderbolts movie is anticipated to feature major storylines, including the transformation of Screaming Mimi into Songbird.
Geraldine Viswanathan's character in Thunderbolts* has remained a mystery. The only clue to her role is that she's called "Mel," but there are already speculations as to who she's portraying in the anticipated Marvel movie.
Earlier this year, the 29-year-old Australian actress' casting in Thunderbolts* was announced. Viswanathan joined the ensemble to replace Ayo Edebiri, who decided to leave the project due to a conflict in schedule. Thunderbolts* was delayed due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike last year. Viswanathan was not the only actor added to replace another cast member. Marvel Studios also added Lewis Pullman to step in for Steven Yeun, who exited the superhero flick due to scheduling reasons like Edebiri, per Deadline. However, while Viswanathan's casting is already confirmed, her role has remained a mystery, and fans have little to no clue about the character she will portray.
Marvel Entertainment shared an official video of the Thunderbolts* cast at the San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend. In the clip, Viswanathan appeared alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lewis Pullman, who play Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and "Bob," respectively. Viswanathan's character is called "Mel," which prompts rumors that she is playing Melissa Gold, also known as Songbird. Songbird is one of the original Thunderbolts with supersonic sound abilities that can cause a variety of effects. She made her debut as supervillain Screaming Mimi in the pages of Marvel Two-in-One #54 in 1979, ComicBookMovie.com reported. Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and John Byrne created the character, who later became known as Songbird after she joined Thunderbolts. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Viswanathan shared more details about her character. According to her, Mel is "in the world of Valentina," suggesting that she sides with the antagonist. She said, "I'm kind of her little righthand man. And kind of going, 'Wait a minute? Who is this, and what's she doing? So we're really paired up, which is a dream — it's Julia Louis Dreyfus!"
Aside from the talks about Viswanathan's role, Pullman's character being named "Bob" seemingly confirms the rumors that he is playing Robert "Bob" Reynolds, a.k.a Sentry, the superhero with the power of a million exploding suns. Initially, there were rumors that Yeun was to portray the character. Marvel Studios never officially announced Yeun's casting, but he confirmed in an interview that he was supposed to be part of the film when he talked about his departure from the project. Pullman addressed the rumors by only saying that Bob wasn't his character's full name. He said, "All I'll say is that everyone has their own nicknames and Bob is not his only name. As Lewis is not my only name." To support his claim, Pullman said he just went to dinner with his dad who called him Magoo, Lew Magoo, before doubling down about his character on Thunderbolts*. He added, "Bob is not all he goes by. That's all I'm saying."
The rumors about Viswanathan and Pullman's characters are likely to be true, but one still needs to take them with a grain of salt until Marvel confirms it. In Viswanathan's case, she would likely portray Screaming Mimi, a member of the criminal teams called the Grapplers and the Masters of Evil. The actress had confirmed that she was Valentina's right hand. However, Screaming Mimi later reforms and becomes Songbird, a member of the first incarnation of the Thunderbolts team. Songbird is known for her long, white and pink-streaked hair, pink wings and black and white suit. Songbird appears in major comic book storylines involving the team. She also appeared in Civil War when the Avengers were divided between Captain America and Iron Man. She's also a member of the Mighty Avengers. So, Viswanathan's storyline is among the anticipated story arcs that are a must-watch in Thunderbolts*.
Thunderbolts* will hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
Source: ComicBookMovie.com
