Meet the Star-Studded Cast of “Thunderbolts*” (Including Multiple Oscar Nominees)

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* brings together a huge ensemble cast for a less gallant take on the MCU.

The film follows a ragtag group of antiheroes, many of whom are reprising their roles from previous Marvel projects like Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. In the movie, they’re forced to team up and take on their biggest challenge yet: a powerful but troubled mutated superhuman named the Sentry.

David Harbour, who plays the Red Guardian, told British GQ in April 2025 that he thinks that the gathering of seemingly random characters whom people are not emotionally attached to adds to the movie’s charm.

“It does feel like it was thrown together — these characters that not many people know … what are they doing together?” he said. “How does this relate to the whole universe in general? People are like, ‘What the f— is this?’ And I’ll tell you what: I really like it.”

While the heroes might be underdogs, the cast of Thunderbolts* are huge stars. Joining Harbour in the cast are Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Sebastian Stan, among many others.

Here’s everything to know about the Thunderbolts* cast.

Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova

Reprising her role from Black Widow, Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, a sister assassin to Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in the Black Widow organization.

Pugh said she’s excited to reprise the role in Thunderbolts*, telling Empire in March 2025, “It ended up becoming this quite badass indie, A24-feeling assassin movie with Marvel superheroes.”

Over the last few years, Pugh has become one of the most prominent actresses in Hollywood thanks to her roles in films like 2019’s Midsommar and 2024’s Dune: Part II.

Pugh also holds numerous accolades, scoring an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 2019’s Little Women.

The actress will return to both her big franchises with the upcoming Dune: Messiah and Avengers: Doomsday, and she’s signed on for Netflix’s miniseries adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic East of Eden.

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan reprises his role as Bucky Barnes (or the Winter Soldier), who is out to stop an illegal and secret scheme that could endanger the world.

Stan has played Barnes in numerous Marvel entities including the 2021 miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

On top of his Marvel roles, Stan has starred in a number of acclaimed films and series. In 2025, he won a Golden Globe for A Different Man and earned a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars for The Apprentice. He also starred as Tommy Lee in the hit 2022 miniseries Pam & Tommy, which earned him an Emmy nomination.

Off-screen, Stan has been in a relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis since 2022.

Next up, Stan will be starring in the psychological horror Let The Evil Go West alongside Lily James and is later set to reprise his role as the Winter Soldier again in Avengers: Doomsday.

Wyatt Russell as John Walker

Wyatt Russell stars as John Walker, the very brief (and disastrous) Captain America, who ultimately takes on the alias U.S. Agent.

Russell originated the role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he’s also starred in hit series like Lodge 49 and 2022’s Under the Banner of Heaven. He currently stars in Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Wyatt is the son of Hollywood stars Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, but that doesn’t mean they go easy on him when it comes to his projects. At the April 22 premiere of Thunderbolts*, Wyatt told PEOPLE that his parents “just hope that it’s good.”

“Because like anything, if it’s not good, it’s not good. You know, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or what you’re in,” Russell said with a laugh.

Since 2019, he’s been married to actress Meredith Hagner, and together they have two sons.

David Harbour as Red Guardian

David Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov (aka the Red Guardian), a role he originated in Black Widow. He’s not only a super soldier, but also the adoptive father of Yelena and raised her to be an assassin.

Most fans will recognize Harbour from Stranger Things, and he’s also starred in hit movies like 2022’s Violent Night and 2023’s Gran Turismo.

Off-screen, Harbour married singer Lily Allen in September 2020. After over four years of marriage, the couple split in early 2025.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Comedy legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays corrupt CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who has been assembling her own ragtag group of superheroes throughout the last few Marvel projects.

The Seinfeld alum first joined the MCU in 2021 in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and has made a number of appearances in Marvel projects since, but she always knew this is where her character was heading.

“I had a meeting with [Marvel producers] Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito, and they told me what the plan was for this character,” she told Marvel.com in April 2025. “They were going to sprinkle her into a bunch of other Marvel projects, and then eventually she would be in Thunderbolts* assembling this team of antiheroes.”

In her personal life, Louis-Dreyfus is married to fellow comedian Brad Hall, and together they have two sons: musician Henry and actor Charlie.

Ahead of the movie’s premiere, Louis-Dreyfus joked that she joined the franchise to impress them.

“Well, I mean, I was intrigued to do it because, of course, it’s iconic, but really because it was … well, you wouldn’t have necessarily thought of me for it,” she told PEOPLE. “And I also wanted to impress my kids.”

Lewis Pullman as Bob

Lewis Pullman plays Bob, a young man who is rumored to be Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry.

Lewis is the son of actor Bill Pullman and has often credited his father’s advice with helping him navigate Hollywood.

“He knows what gets me excited, what makes me nervous, what scares me,” he told PEOPLE in May 2023. “And then he also has so much experience in the business and with the craft. So all of his advice is catered towards me. I don’t know where I’d be at without it.”

In recent years, Lewis has started building an impressive filmography of his own. In 2022, he starred in the blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick. Then, in 2023, he earned an Emmy and Critics’ Choice nomination for his role in Lessons in Chemistry, in which he starred alongside Brie Larson.

Pullman has also had a few high-profile relationships. He previously dated actress Rainey Qaulley before splitting in 2023, and in early 2025, he was spotted with model Kaia Gerber.

Next up, on top of joining his fellow Thunderbolts* costars in Avengers: Doomsday, Pullman will also star in the upcoming historical musical Ann Lee, about the creator and leader of the Shaker movement.

Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost

Hannah John-Kamen stars as Ava Starr, aka Ghost. She’s able to temporarily disappear and walk through walls, and was introduced to the MCU as the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

At the London premiere of Thunderbolts* in April 2025, John-Kamen told HeyUGuys how fulfilling it was to play a character in the Marvel universe.

“What’s amazing about this movie … and what Marvel does really well is they create 3D characters,” she said on the red carpet. “It’s not just fight and punch and then you’re a hero, you’re a villain … it’s real, relatable life predicaments.”

Before Thunderbolts*, John-Kamen starred in 2018’s Ready Player One. In 2021, she took on the role of Jill Valentine in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster

Olga Kurylenko plays one of de Fontaine’s recruited antiheroes, Taskmaster, whose real name is Antonia Masters.

The actress has previously starred as a Bond girl in 2008’s Quantum of Solace and appeared opposite Tom Cruise in 2013’s Oblivion.

Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel

Geraldine Viswanathan plays Mel, de Fontaine’s assistant.

In a January 2025 interview with Empire, Viswananathan, who previously starred in 2024’s Drive-Away Dolls, discussed how it felt to make the jump from indie comedies to a blockbuster like Thunderbolts*.

“The scale of that was ridiculous and terrifying in a new way,” she told the outlet. “It was like, ‘Oh, there are 500 extras and a helicopter in this scene, so I’d better not f— up my line.’ ”

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