Thunderbolts* cast: All the stars in The New Avengers
The latest MCU flick has now arrived in UK cinemas – and as usual it's a star-studded affair.
It's pretty rare for a film to change its title after its release date – but that's the approach taken by the latest instalment in the MCU, with several of the film's cast enlisted to reveal that Thunderbolts* would now also be going by the name The New Avengers.
The move was made less than a week after the film opened in cinemas, following a year's worth of speculation regarding just what the asterisk in the title referred to – and it seems likely that the alternate title will ramp up anticipation for the MCU's imminent Phase 6.
Most of the stars who appear in the film – from Marvel stalwarts like Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes to franchise newcomers like Lewis Pullman as Bob – have already been confirmed to star in Avengers: Doomsday next year, so we'll likely be seeing much more of this rag-tag band of antiheroes.
But just who are the Thunderbolts/New Avengers? And where have you seen the actors before? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast.
Thunderbolts* cast: All the stars in The New Avengers
You can find the cast list for the film below – scroll down further for more information about all of the key players.
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker/US Agent
- Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
- Lewis Pullman as Bob Reynolds/Sentry/Void
- Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel
- Chris Bauer as Holt
- Wendell Pierce as Gary
- David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
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Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova
Who is Yelena Belova? A member of the Thunderbolts who was trained in the Red Room as a Black Widow assassin.
What else has Florence Pugh been in? The English actress is currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and outside her MCU role she is known for her turns in The Falling, Lady Macbeth, Fighting with My Family, Little Women, Midsommar, The Wonder, Don't Worry Darling, Oppenheimer, Dune: Part Two and, most recently, We Live in Time.
Sebastian Stan plays Bucky Barnes
Who is Bucky Barnes? An enhanced super soldier with a cybernetic arm who is the de facto leader of the Thunderbolts and also has a political career.
What else has Sebastian Stan been in? Although it is still Stan's work in the MCU for which he is most widely recognised, he had the most acclaimed year of his career in 2024 thanks to his Golden Globe-winning role in A Different Man and his Oscar-nominated performance as Donald Trump in The Apprentice.
Other film roles gave included Black Swan, The Martian, I, Tonya, The Devil All the Time and Fresh, while he is also known for his small-screen roles as Carter Baizen on Gossip Girl, Jefferson in Once Upon a Time and Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy.
Wyatt Russell plays John Walker/US Agent
Who is John Walker? An enhanced super soldier, former Captain America, and a member of the Thunderbolts.
What else has Wyatt Russell been in? Away from the MCU, Russell is known for starring alongside his famous father Kurt in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, while other credits include the Black Mirror episode Playtest, main roles in Lodge 49 and Under the Banner of Heaven and films including 22 Jump Street, Everybody Wants Some!! and Night Swim. Prior to his acting career, he was a professional ice hockey player.
Olga Kurylenko plays Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
Who is Antonia Dreykov? A skilled assassin with photographic reflexes.
What else has Olga Kurylenko been in? Kurylenko is perhaps still best known for playing Bond girl Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace, while other film credits include Seven Psychopaths, Oblivion, The Death of Stalin, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and Extraction 2.
Lewis Pullman plays Bob/Sentry/Void
Who is Bob? A mysterious superpowered individual who is found by the Thunderbolts.
What else has Lewis Pullman been in? The son of actor Bill Pulman, he has starred in a number of films including Top Gun: Maverick, The Strangers: Prey At Night and Bad Times at the El Royale, while recent credits include The Caine Mutiny Court Martial and Salem's Lot. On the small screen, Pullman has starred in Catch-22, Outer Range and Lessons in Chemistry.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Who is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine? A contessa and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency – who first causes the members of the Thunderbolts to come face to face.
What else has Julia Louis-Dreyfus been in? Dreyfus is best known for her roles as Elaine in Seinfeld and Selina Meyer in Veep – winning six consecutive Emmys for the latter. Film credits include Hannah and Her Sisters, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Deconstructing Harry, while more recently she's been seen in You People and You Hurt My Feelings.
Geraldine Viswanathan plays Mel
Who is Mel? Valentina’s idealistic, morally conflicted assistant.
What else has Geraldine Viswanathan been in? Viswanathan starred in the anthology series Miracle Workers and also has a number of film credits to her name, including Blockers, The Broken Hearts Gallery, Cat Person, Drive-Away Dolls, and You're Cordially Invited.
David Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
Who is Alexei Shostakov? A member of the Thunderbolts who is the Russian super soldier counterpart to Captain America and a father figure to Belova.
What else has David Harbour been in? Harbour is instantly recognisable as Chief Hopper from Stranger Things, while he has appeared in a vast array of films including War of the Worlds, Quantum of Solace, Revolutionary Road, Black Mass, Suicide Squad, Hellboy, Violent Night, Gran Turismo and, most recently, A Working Man.
Hannah John-Kamen plays Ava Starr/Ghost
Who is Ava Starr? A member of the Thunderbolts who can phase through objects.
What else has Hannah John-Kamen been in? John-Kamen has appeared in several big TV shows including Black Mirror, Game of Thrones and Happy Valley, in addition to main roles in Killjoys, The Stranger and Brave New World. Film credits include Tomb Raider, Ready Player One, SAS: Red Notice and Unwelcome.
Thunderbolts* is now showing in UK cinemas.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
