Thunderbolts has lost another major name, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie having to replace its The Bear star. Marvel’s Thunderbolts cast has suffered another great blow, with the film having previously lost Oscar-nominated actor Steven Yeun. Despite filming on Thunderbolts getting closer, it seems like things continue to shift for the MCU movie.
According to Deadline, Ayo Edebiri has exited from Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts due to scheduling conflicts, with Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers) set to replace Edebiri in a mystery role. Edebiri’s departure came as a result of 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which caused Thunderbolts’ filming to be delayed from last year to March or April. That has affected the upcoming MCU movie in a huge way.
Thunderbolts’ first major loss was that of The Walking Dead’s Yeun. The actor was rumored to play Sentry in the film, with The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman confirming that Yeun was indeed playing Marvel’s Superman-like character and had even tried out the hero’s costume. Yeun later commented on his departure from the movie, revealing that it was due to scheduling conflicts — like Edebiri — and that he still wanted to be part of an MCU movie in the future.
Now, Edebiri’s loss is another major one for the MCU and Thunderbolts. The actress broke out with her role as the determined and talented chef Sydney in The Bear, for which she recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Edebiri’s Thunderbolts role would have come as the actress’ star began to rise. Thankfully, Thunderbolts is replacing her with Viswanathan, who has shown in her roles in Blockers and Miracle Workers that she has the necessary charisma and acting skills to make up for Edebiri’s departure.
While Kirkman helped confirm that Yeun was initially set to play Sentry in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, Edebiri’s role in the film, which will now be played by Viswanathan, remains a secret. The actress was rumored to play Songbird in Thunderbolts. In the comics, the character was one of the founding members of the team, so her presence in the MCU movie would make sense. With production on Thunderbolts starting in the next couple of months, Viswanathan’s mystery role could be revealed soon.
