T-minus 3 days to Thunderbolts*, and it came up on the Squawk chat that this film has not gotten the wall-to-wall coverage Marvel has been afforded in the past. It’s not a reflection on the film, Thunderbolts* is EASILY the best movie Marvel has done since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 two years ago, and in the entire post-COVID run of MCU films, I would put it in the top three. It’s super fun and has a lot of heart. It feels very “back to basics”, but frankly, that’s what Marvel needs.
They could also use a win at the box office this weekend, though. It might be easier to recapture some of the casual audience if the feeling that “Marvel is back” takes hold. I expect Thunderbolts* to do pretty well and set up some positive momentum for Fantastic Four later this summer. THAT is the Marvel press tour that will get more attention, the Fantastic Four are like Spider-Man, people are always curious what the new version looks like.
Anyway, the Thunderbolts* press tour is making its last push, with a premiere in Los Angeles last night and a group appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It’s a fun bunch, I hope we get to see more of them in the future, though I don’t think it’s worst thing for these actors NOT to be nailed down by Marvel every year or so. Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, and Lewis Pullman are all doing super interesting work elsewhere, maybe let’s let them have time away to keep doing that.
Speaking of Sebastian Stan, he finally turned up, sporting a freshly shorn head. Florence Pugh, meanwhile, went for a fresh mint green gown.
I don’t always love what she wears, but I DO love how Flo plays with the boundaries of soft feminine and harder edge styles. That dress is a cloud but the hair is post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I think I’m mostly into it, but then I saw Geraldine Viswanathan and gasped out loud.
Like Lainey, I’ve been on the Geraldine train since Blockers—and a longtime cheerleader of Miracle Workers—so I am feeling VERY smug that Geraldine is getting her moment in the sun. And she is meeting the moment! Her style on this press tour has been spectacular, she is really making the most of a worldwide tour, but this yellow gown is a real jaw-dropper. It’s on point, as yellow is the key color for Thunderbolts*, she looks outrageous in it, and the hood seems like a nod to the saree and her Tamil roots. I am really loving this moment for Geraldine, and I hope we get to see more of her in general, not just in the MCU.
Also on hand were the other ’Bolts, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and Hannah John-Kamen, as well as their director, Jake Schreier, and co-stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Olga Kurylenko, Wendell Pierce, and Lewis Pullman. He really loves a monochromatic suit.
Pullman’s fellow MCU star and Top Gun alum Danny Ramirez was also there. They're both slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. I really hope someone at Marvel has the sense to make sure they have a scene together. Use the chemistry at your disposal! It's what the team-up movies are for!
Here are the Thunderbolts on Jimmy Kimmel last night. A really charismatic bunch, it actually does say something about how much ground Marvel has lost that they AREN’T dominating the culture right now.
