Julia Louis-Dreyfus knows how to keep a secret. Unlike her Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo, who have struggled in the past to not divulge key plot details, Louis-Dreyfus had no trouble keeping Thunderbolts* big twist under wraps for more than five years.
Louis-Dreyfus made her MCU debut as Valentina “Val” Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and returned for a quick cameo in Black Widow (both 2021), where she was shown attempting to get John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) and Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh) to work for her, respectively. She then had a supporting role in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which revealed that Val is the ex-wife of Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross, as well as the new director of the CIA.
How long has Julia Louis-Dreyfus known the Thunderbolts would be rebranded as the New Avengers?
At the end of Thunderbolts*, the titular team of anti-heroes is rebranded as the New Avengers by Louis-Dreyfus’ Val. Despite the movie coming out in May 2025, Louis-Dreyfus shared with Entertainment Weekly that she has known about the twist in the MCU blockbuster for as long as she has been part of the franchise.
“I met with Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito many years ago, when they first pitched me this whole idea of playing Val, and they pitched me this,” Louis-Dreyfus revealed. “So I’ve really known for a long time. I haven’t said a thing to anyone!”
While The Falcon and the Winter Soldier serves as her MCU debut, Louis-Dreyfus was originally supposed to make her first appearance in Black Widow. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to massive delays across the film industry, with Black Widow being pushed back over a year from its original May 1, 2020, release date. With Black Widow wrapping production in late 2019, this means that Louis-Dreyfus has known about the Thunderbolts becoming the New Avengers for almost six years.
MCU fans can revisit the third act twist in Thunderbolts* when the movie arrives on digital platforms on July 1, followed by a 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on July 29.