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Forbes
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Thunderbolts*' Star On Thrill of Reprising Ghost In New Marvel Movie
Hannah John-Kamen in "Thunderbolts*." Disney/Marvel Studios With the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, Hannah John-Kamen is getting a rare opportunity for any actor in any type of movie. Starting out as the main villain, Ava Starr/Ghost, in 2018's Marvel Cinematic Universe hit Ant-Man and the Wasp, John-Kamen's character has turned away from being an out-and-out villiain into an antihero in Thunderbolts*. As such, Ghost is part of a group of bad guys taking on the worse guys, where she, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) have the propensity to do good things despite their checkered pasts. While Thunderbolts* has all the action, intensity and suspense that fans of the MCU have come to know and love since Iron Man kicked off the sprawling movie series in 2008, it fully embraces an antihero ideology, which to date has largely been about superheroes. But being a hero who does good things isn't fully out of the depth of the members of the group in Thunderbolts*. 'What this movie does is it forces us not to just to be a team, but gives the ability look at ourselves and ask for forgiveness so we can actually dream bigger than what we thought we could … that the idea of being a hero isn't so ridiculous,' John-Kamen said in a Zoom conversation Friday. 'We've been trained into a routine to think that we don't deserve it otherwise. I think this movie gives us so more depth for our characters and so much more of a journey to go on.' Opening in theaters worldwide on Friday, Thunderbolts* is set not long after the events of the previous MCU chapter Captain America: Brave New World. At the beginning of the film, Yelena is sent by CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to eliminate a target at a secret O.X.E. facility where superhuman experiments are being conducted. When Yelena arrives at the facility, she encounters Ghost, John Walker and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), who have also been sent to the facility with similar orders from Valentina to essentially eliminate one another. To survive politically, Valentina needs to wash her hands of any illegal covert government activities. If her dirty secrets are exposed, Valentina faces orders of impeachment from U.S. Congress. However, when the group of would-be assassins survives Valentina's attempt at their across-the-board elimination, they make like the old Avengers and assemble a team — along with Bucky and the Red Guardian — to apprehend the CIA director and thwart her plans to introduce a new and very dangerous superhuman to the world dubbed 'The Sentry.' Since Ava/Ghost's story in Thunderbolts* is dictated by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo's script — as well as filmmaker Jake Schreier's direction — Hannah John-Kamen said she didn't necessarily try to enhance who Ava/Ghost was in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Effectively, Thunderbolts* signals a new day for Ava/Ghost, which means she was happy to leave who her character was in Ant-Man and the Wasp in the rear-view mirror. 'Jake and I really discussed this because it's a different Ava. I've really wanted to leave the other Ava behind in a way because in [Ant-Man and the Wasp], I played a girl who was completely riddled with pain and death,' John-Kamen explained. 'That was the driving force behind her bad decision-making. Her uncontrollable, naive and immature ways of trying to deal with her survival was to kill other people, so she lost her way and lost her control completely.' Now, John-Kamen said, Ava/Ghost — who has an unstable molecular composition that allows her to move through objects like a specter — 'has matured and is all grown up and in control of her powers.' 'She's got a very hard exterior … and she doesn't depend on anyone," John-Kamen said. "She doesn't need anyone, and she's in a different rhythm completely, not the rhythm in the original movie.' Another big change for Ava/Ghost is a whole new outfit, which has is jet black and has a commando feel — the polar opposite of her white, ghostlike attire in Ant-Man and the Wasp. "The new costume is insanely detailed and beautiful,' John-Kamen enthused. 'It's really a big part of your day in Marvel Universe when we're filming because when we block the scenes, we're all in our undergarments and leggings with Ugg boots on set. As soon as we all get suited up — which is a good 25-minute process — and we return to set, it feels like we have different powers. Your posture changes. Everything you do feels elevated.' On top of that, John-Kamen's costumes in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Thunderbolts* define who Ava/Ghost is in dramatically different ways. 'The original Ghost costume was interesting because it was so badass before, but it was also functional,' John-Kamen explained. 'The idea was that Ava and Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) had created this costume for her to not flicker away to death. It was more of a practical thing because it was a chamber that she was in. 'In Thunderbolts*, Ava is in a costume that was made for Ghost's abilities,' John-Kamen added. 'It's elevated and has a different power and energy and a different control. It's scarier and it's more warrior.' Rated PG-13, Thunderbolts* also stars Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Pierce. Thunderbolts* opens in theaters worldwide on Friday. Note: Some quotes in this interview feature for 'Thunderbolts*' were condensed and edited for clarity.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Thunderbolts*' Box Office Projections Up Slightly Heading Into Weekend
Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan in ... More "Thunderbolts*." Marvel's Thunderbolts* is projected to make more than early tracking suggested but will likely fall short of the opening numbers for Captain America: Brave New World. Starring Florence Pugh, David Harbor and Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts* is the second Marvel Cinematic Universe chapter to be released in 2025. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford's Captain America: Brave New World opened in February, while The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25. Thunderbolts* plays in Thursday previews before its wide release in theaters on Friday. On April 10, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Thunderbolts* was tracking to open with anywhere from $63 million to $77 million domestically, while Box Office Pro forecasted an opening of anywhere from $65 million to $85 million. In a new box office forecast Wednesday, however, Box Office Pro adjusted its forecast to an $80 million to $90 million opening for Thunderbolts*. Deadline and Variety's opening weekend projections for Thunderbolts* are a bit more conservative, as the trade publications in reports published Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, pegged the film to make $70 million to $75 million in its opening weekend frame. The good news for Marvel is, that at least none of the new projections are in the low to mid-$60 million range as at least two outlets projected early last month. Per Variety, Thunderbolts* had a production budget of $180 million with a $100 million marketing spend. By contrast, the MCU's Captain America: Brave New World made $88.8 million domestically in its opening weekend in mid-February and tacked on $11.5 million on Presidents' Day to bring its four-day holiday weekend tally to $100 million. Thunderbolts* is set not long after the events of Captain America: Brave New World. The official summary for Thunderbolts* reads, 'Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). 'After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?' Rated PG-13, Thunderbolts* is directed by Jake Scheier and also stars Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Pierce. The review embargo for Thunderbolts* lifted Tuesday, and the film scored mostly positive reviews out of the gate. As of Thursday, Thunderbolts* has a 90% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics, up 2% from the film's RT rating on Thursday. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'Assembling a ragtag band of underdogs with Florence Pugh as their magnetic standout, Thunderbolts* refreshingly returns to the tried-and-true blueprint of the MCU's best adventures.' Thunderbolts* plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Florence Pugh On Pretending ‘To Be Tom Cruise' In ‘Thunderbolts*'
Florence Pugh in "Thunderbolts*." Disney/Marvel Studios Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh is revealing more about her death-defying Tom Cruise-like jump off the second-tallest building in the world in her new Marvel movie. Pugh reprises her role as Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts*, which pairs the character with other Marvel antiheroes including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell) when the Avengers aren't available to save the world. Video of Pugh's jump off of Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka 118 was released by Marvel a couple of weeks ago and with the release of Thunderbolts* right around the corner on Friday, the actor is giving details surrounding her tremendous leap of faith in the film. 'So what I will say is that it wasn't my idea to go up there. That was already in the script, and it was already such an impressive way to start a script by having someone fall off a building,' Pugh told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview alongside Harbour on Monday. "I was just really, really amazed that they had written that version of an opening. And then, when it got taken out, that was when I really got sassy,' Pugh added, laughing, referring to an email to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige to put the scene back in the film. So, with the scene back in, Pugh couldn't resist the idea of having a movie moment a la Tom Cruise in his Mission: Impossible and Top Gun movies, who has famously put his life on the line multiple times on the big screen to give audiences authentic thrills. 'Anything that Tom Cruise does, stunt-wise and acting-wise, is just totally impressive. I mean, I'd be mad if I didn't want to pretend that I was him for two seconds,' Pugh told THR. 'I don't think I'm going to be flying any machines or riding any motorbikes, but this was a perfect amount of stunt for me. So, it certainly was fun to pretend to be Tom Cruise for a few seconds.' Florence Pugh is carrying the torch for Scarlett Johansson in her adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, considering the two actors first worked together as sister characters in 2021's Black Widow. Even though it's a prequel film set long before the events of 2019's Avengers: Endgame, where Johansson's beloved character met her demise, Black Widow signaled the end of the actor's run in the MCU. Pugh, meanwhile, continued on as Yelena in the Marvel Disney+ series Hawkeye and leaps back onto the big screen (and off a skyscraper) with Thunderbolts*. 'My whole journey with Marvel was because of Scarlett trusting me and Scarlett wanting me to join her movie [Black Widow] six years ago,' Pugh told THR. 'So, I always miss her presence, and I always feel like it was such a mean thing to begin the journey with someone and then you never get to work with them again on it.' Recalling how it was 'kind of wild' that Black Widow marked their first and last MCU project she worked on with Johansson, Pugh added that she's hoping her former co-star is proud of the steps she's taken in the MCU. 'I am genuinely always just hoping that she's proud," Pugh told THR. "I always have that in the back of my head, like, 'Oh, I hope she's happy that we came in.' So, I do miss her a lot on set, yes. We would have a lot of laughter.' Rated PG-13, Thunderbolts* opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
