Geraldine Viswanathan isn't a superhero but she's integral to Thunderbolts*By Velvet WinterABC EntertainmentTopic:Action Movies1h ago1 hours agoWed 7 May 2025 at 12:38am"You can't read the script before you sign on, so I was kind of trusting [the director]," Viswanathan says. (Supplied: Disney/Jesse Grant)abc.net.au/news/thunderbolts-interview-geraldine-viswanathan/105239904Link copiedShareShare articleGeraldine Viswanathan has had a Hollywood ascension most Australian actors can only dream of.Back in the mid-2010s, she was doing what a lot of local creatives have to do early in their careers: collecting the eclectic roles on offer in Australia in hopes that the next one will lead to The Big One.There was a bit part in Emo: The Musical; the odd stand-up spot at the University of Sydney's student bar; a delightful tenure with Sydney comedy troupe Freudian Nip.Loading YouTube contentViswanathan was two weeks into training to be a triple j presenter when she got her call-up for The Big One – a starring role in major studio comedy Blockers, alongside John Cena and Leslie Mann."It was so wild. I mean, I was stoked to work at triple j and get trained to host," she tells ABC Entertainment."I remember emailing [former triple j content director Ollie Wards] and being like, 'I think I have to go do this film with John Cena. I don't know when I'll be back but love you!'"Since then, the 29-year-old actor has been quickly climbing the Hollywood ladder. She's starred in everything from extremely online Sundance charmers to a Hugh Jackman-led drama to a pulpy Ethan Cohen crime caper.Now she's levelling up yet again for a starring turn in Thunderbolts*, the film that might just revive Marvel's muddy modern reputation.Thunderbolts are goIt's been a rocky few years for the multi-billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Phase five (that's everything after the Black Panther sequel) of the studio's never-ending plan for world domination delivered critical clunkers but, more worrying for Marvel, it produced films that lost money.Thunderbolts* is the last film of phase five, or rather a bridging film as fans brace for a fourth reboot of the Fantastic Four (this one has Pedro Pascal!) that will kick off phase six.It's a volatile moment in the Marvel timeline: they need a hit and they are banking on a film where the highest-profile character is Captain America's ex-best friend.There were vibes of quiet desperation in the months before the film's release, including a divisive teaser that touted all the talent Marvel had poached from art-house studio A24.Loading YouTube contentBut Marvel's prayerful roll of the dice has turned out in their favour. Thunderbolts* is being praised as the best thing the studio has done in years, a long-awaited response to frustrated fans begging for characters with depth and a superhero movie with an actual point of view. It also pulled in a tidy $US162 million first weekend at the box office.Geraldine Viswanathan and Florence Pugh at the world premiere of Thunderbolts* in Hollywood. (Supplied: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)It's a surreal time for Viswanathan to jump on the Marvel train, she says."This movie just feels like such a breath of fresh air. It has that old-school Marvel sensibility but with a kind of nuanced, complex, sort of A24 twist," she says."To enter the Marvel universe at all is such a dream but then to enter this way, in this company, with this team and these people, it's unbelievable. I feel really proud to represent Aussies in the Marvel Universe. Let's go!"It wasn't a straight shot into Marvel for Viswanathan, who stepped into the human character of Mel after her friend and Emmy-award-winning actor Ayo Edebiri bowed out due to scheduling conflicts."When I got the call, I was really sick in bed and my agent was like, 'Jake [Schreier, Thunderbolts* director] wants to call you'. And I was like, 'Why?'" she says."We got on a Zoom and I was in a sea of tissues. He pitched the movie and Mel to me because you can't read the script before you sign on."Then, at the end of the call, he asked me if I wanted to do it and I was like, 'Are you asking me to join the Marvel Universe?! Yes, of course!'"Rise of the underlingThunderbolts* is the adhoc name for the ragtag group of c-list superheroes that find themselves unintentionally smooshed together by CIA head Valentina Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, doing Selina Meyer as a supervillain) who is in the middle of an impeachment."I really identified with Mel and the kind of moral decision that she has to make," Viswanathan says. (Supplied: Chuck Zlotnick)Mel comes into the scene as Val's dedicated assistant with an iPad permanently strapped to her hand, always ready to fulfil her bosses every whim — whether it be a good cup of coffee or the termination of "evidence" (real life humans)."[Louis-Dreyfus] is so dedicated to making it as good as possible. She's very precise. She's very thoughtful with language," Viswanathan says."She's Julia Louis-Dreyfus! She could just show up and cruise but she puts her all into it."As Val's ambitions get more megalomaniacal, Mel begins to question if she's on the moral side of the fight."It was really exciting to see Mel's arc. It's relatable, especially for young people who are ambitious and smart and want to be a force of good in the world," Viswanathan says."It's cool that a movie like this would talk about power so explicitly between two women, and that [Mel] kind of ends up as the secret weapon within the Thunderbolts."'It's all going to be fine'Viswanathan says she'll never forget the day she first stepped out onto a Marvel set.As far as a Marvel movie goes, Thunderbolts* does things differentlyPhoto shows Five people dressed as superheroes walk along a city street towards the camera, while looking up.Director Jake Schreier bring his indie film chops to the MCU and delivers a fresh take on the superhero genre that's able to be a crowd-pleaser and explore darker themes in equal measure."It was this massive scene with hundreds of extras and a helicopter and huge trucks. It was all choreographed before we got there and I had this horrifying thought: 'If I mess this up, all of this has to reset,'" she says."There's so many moving parts. It felt more like theatre, it was really different to things I've done before, but a really exciting new challenge."So, on the precipice of her biggest project yet, what would Viswanathan say to her younger self, slogging it out on small sets and five-minute stand-up spots?"Keep going, don't stress, it's all going to be fine, it's all going to unfold," she says."I feel like I was really into unflattering, extremely high-waisted pants at the time so also, maybe invest in some better pants."Thunderbolts* is in cinemas now.Loading YouTube contentPosted 1h ago1 hours agoWed 7 May 2025 at 12:38am, updated 1h ago1 hours agoWed 7 May 2025 at 1:16amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesPakistan's prime minister vows India's attacks will 'not go unpunished'LIVEPhoto shows A man rides his motorbike through rubble in the darkASIC takes action against Macquarie for 'significant' failuresTopic:Business and Industry RegulationPhoto shows Macquarie Group headquarters, SydneyCourt orders release of 'vicious' CCTV footage after three-year legal battleTopic:CrimePhoto shows External images of Reiby Youth Detention Centre.A feedback loop tanked Dutton's campaign in its final weekAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbPhoto shows Clive Palmer NPCNationals leader backs in nuclear as Liberal senator demands it be scrappedLIVEPhoto shows Liberal Party launch in SydneyRelated storiesAs far as a Marvel movie goes, Thunderbolts* does things differentlyTopic:MoviesPhoto shows Five people dressed as superheroes walk along a city street towards the camera, while looking up.Another Simple Favor is just as deranged and delightful as the first filmTopic:MoviesPhoto shows Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively stand next to each other and look seriously at the camera on a red carpetIrish fairy folklore conjured to terrifying effect in new horror filmTopic:MoviesPhoto shows A close-up image of a woman's face with red crosses visible on her eyeballs.Related topicsAction MoviesArts, Culture and EntertainmentAustraliaTop StoriesPakistan's prime minister vows India's attacks will 'not go unpunished'Topic:Unrest, Conflict and WarPhoto shows A man rides his motorbike through rubble in the darkASIC takes action against Macquarie for 'significant' failuresTopic:Business and Industry RegulationCourt orders release of 'vicious' CCTV footage after three-year legal battleTopic:CrimeA feedback loop tanked Dutton's campaign in its final weekAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbNationals leader backs in nuclear as Liberal senator demands it be scrappedTopic:ElectionsJust InFather who fatally shook baby has 10 years added to jail timeTopic:Courts18m ago18 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 2:13amLiberal leadership race narrows to two likely contenders, Ley and Taylor, as MPs split over nuclearTopic:Liberal Party of Australia21m ago21 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 2:09amKaren Webb to step down as NSW police commissionerBREAKING2m ago2 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 2:29amBean counting continues as independent Jessie Price eyes a 'not-so-safe' Labor seatTopic:Australian Federal Elections16m ago16 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 2:14amMore Just InBack to top