Desde Hollywood was invited to participate in the press conference for Thunderbolts, the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Read below some of the highlights of what was shared by the super talented filmmakers and starts, including Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, director Jake Schreier, composers Son Lux, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Feige on Assembling Marvel Team-ups

Marking the end of the MCU’s Phase 5, Thunderbolts introduces a new team with its own emotional complexity and distinctive tone, while laying the groundwork for what comes next. 

“Avengers movies are always about incredible actors who have never met before on-screen meeting for the first time and interacting in ways that they’ve never interacted before,” Feige added. “That’s my favorite part.”
“What’s very exciting is audiences are getting to meet this team in this movie on Friday. We then have another team called The Fantastic Four that they’re gonna get to meet in July.”

Pugh Leads the Charge in More Ways than One

In the film’s opening sequence, Pugh’s Yelena Belova steps off the towering Merdeka 118 skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur in what looks like a jaw-dropping leap of faith. While the moment sets the tone for the film’s intensity, the actress clarified during a press appearance that although she did perform that stunt, she can’t take credit for every death-defying moment in the movie.

“When you’re reading it on a page, it did feel like she was stepping off a building alongside with the voiceover as if she was taking her own life. And when I read it, I just remember thinking how powerful it was to start a movie like that, and the trust that clearly everybody was already having in putting a potential stunt in a script like that from many, many months before we started shooting. I was just so impressed by it. And I also was just so impressed instantly how, as an audience member, we knew exactly where she was feeling. And it was only because she’s obviously an assassin that she can land it.”

Harbour had a Super Good Time on Set

Joining Pugh once again after their team-up in Black Widow, David Harbour returns as the scene-stealing Red Guardian. While the super-suited persona brings a rugged charm and comic energy to the team, Harbour says there’s much more bubbling underneath the surface.

“There is a portion of me, as I act, that has a very detailed backstory, (with) dark things to it. And then there’s also just me as a kid putting on a super suit, like in a Marvel movie, sitting with all these amazing, incredible actors.”

Beyond the story and visuals, Thunderbolts stands out for the creative environment it fostered.

“I will say just the desire to have the input from us and the desire to have the input of our experience, of our talent… that does not [happen] a lot of times on big movie sets,” said David Harbour. “There is such a frothing at the mouth quality of [having] good actors tell good stories… it truly is a boon.”

Familiar Faces but Deeper Layers

Thunderbolts features a mix of new and returning characters. Fans will recognize Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and Sebastian Stan reprising his role as the Winter Soldier—but both characters get more room to breathe this time.

“In this particular film, you really get to know who [my character] is. This experience, albeit I loved everything before, but this was a lot to chew on and a lot to explore,” Louis-Dreyfus shared. “I think that you get an opportunity to understand maybe why she is the way she is. It doesn’t necessarily excuse things, but it’s understanding… That was a really exciting way to approach Valentina and her drive.”

Stan reflected on his long journey with the Winter Soldier:

“I’ve always talked about [my character] like having a sibling I’ve never had. Honestly, I think we’ve both been learning from each other for 15 years in a way… But this was special for numerous reasons because it felt very real, the connection, and so on. I think that’s what’s at the heart of this film… how real all of these characters are. They wear their hearts on their sleeve and they’re trying to do the right thing… My character’s always been riding that fine line and trying to figure it out himself without losing who he is or trying to regain himself again. And that’s sort of what we do in life.”

Tackling Mental Health—Without Becoming a PSA

One of the film’s quieter but most resonant storylines centers around anxiety and depression. According to Lewis Pullman, who plays the enigmatic new character Bob, that was a conscious choice from both director Jake Schreier and producer Kevin Feige.

“(It’s) not a fun thing to talk about, so it feels weird to even say out loud right now. But, I think, that was a big goal in this film—to get rid of that weird, quaky feeling that you get when you bring it up and when you talk about it. That’s what this movie’s all about. And if you have people around you, it’s in the silence where the suffering really occurs.”

Scoring the Struggle with an Emotional Core

One of the most unique aspects of Thunderbolts is its score. Director Jake Schreier collaborated with genre-defying music collective Son Lux to develop the film’s sonic identity—before cameras even rolled.

“They’re such intelligent guys, and they’re so connected to emotion,” Schreier explained. “Often movies are made with a temp score… What they were good enough to do here, is we started making the score for the movie before we ever went out and shot it.”

“At the first table read, I played a full suite that they had made that are still the themes that ended up in the film. We were editing with our original score… They did a wonderful job.”

Thunderbolts hits theaters this Friday, May 2!

“After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.“