Geraldine Viswanathan agreed to star in Thunderbolts* without reading a script

Perth Now

10-05-2025

Geraldine Viswanathan accepted her role in 'Thunderbolts*' without reading a script.
The 29-year-old actress has recalled how she agreed to play the role of Mel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie even though she had not seen any of the screenplay for the flick.
Speaking to Collider, Geraldine said: "I think the biggest thing here was you don't read the script before you sign on. Jake (Schreier, director) was trying to explain to me the script and the character. I was like, 'Uh huh. I don't know what you're saying, but I think it sounds good.'
"You're jumping in blind, but you're just like, obviously, I want to be in this company and be a part of the Marvel Universe, and Jake is such a brilliant filmmaker.
"It just felt like a very charmed way to enter the world. But I feel really lucky. I didn't have to go through the gauntlet of auditions. They were just like, 'You wanna do it?'"
Geraldine decided to star in the film after receiving the blessing of her friend Ayo Edebiri, who had been due to feature in the movie before dropping out of the cast due to scheduling issues last year.
The 'Miracle Workers' star recalled: "I was like, 'Hey, girl. So, they gave me a call about this. 'What do you think?' And she was like, 'Absolutely, 100 per cent, you need to do this. You're going to be hanging out with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.'
"She was also like, 'She goes bad, and that's cool.' She was like, 'It's an awesome chance to play somebody a little villainous.'"
Mel, the assistant to CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Louis-Dreyfus), is one of the few characters in 'Thunderbolts*' who doesn't possess any special powers but Geraldine explained that her alter ego still has a pivotal part to play in the film.
The Australian actress said: "It felt very clear what to track, and it was really just about that internal struggle, but also what makes her pop is you don't really know where her head's at because you're not really following her, but then she ends up driving a lot of the plot.
"She is also kind of instigating big things. She brings them to the Avengers Tower – even just saying that now, it's like, that's so cool!"
Geraldine, who is of South Asian descent, follows Kumail Nanjiani and Iman Vellani in joining the MCU and feels that Hollywood is making progress when it comes to representation.
She told Draw Your Box: "I feel really fortunate to be in the industry at this time. I think it's our time, and we're here, and it's nice that it feels like a kind of clear road.
"Anything is possible, we're in the Marvel Universe! And it's exciting that there's endless possibilities for us as well. So, it's really not lost on me how exciting it is, and I feel really honoured."
Geraldine added: "The night is young. We've got more to do."