Thunderbolts Actor Comments on Replacing The Bear Star in Major MCU Role

It’s been a stellar year for Marvel’s ensemble casts, with both Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps resonating with fans. That was especially true of Thunderbolts*, which brought together a host of Marvel fan favorites and lesser-known characters for a thrilling and rather emotionally charged adventure, though there was one change made to the cast along the way. Geraldine Viswanathan stepped in for The Bear star Ayo Edebiri to play the role of Mel Gold (aka Songbird), and she recently revealed to ComicBook what that process entailed and the challenges it came with.

While the role of Mel was originally supposed to be played by Edebiri, due to the various schedule shifts and changes after the writers’ and actors’ strikes, Edebiri had to leave the project. ComicBook’s Chris Killian asked Viswanathan about replacing Edebiri in the role and if the character was rewritten or changed as a result.

“I think I think maybe slightly, but not in a huge kind of overhaul way. That story was always very clear, and that character was always very clear,” Viswanathan said. “I think, for me, even at the beginning. It’s because I know her, and a lot of people from The Bear worked on it, so they know her. So, I had to put in that extra step to kind of make it feel like mine.”

After seeing the final film, we can safely say Viswanathan made the role her own and got people excited about seeing the character evolve into the Songbird from the comics. While she hasn’t had the chance to talk to Edebiri about Thunderbolts, she said, “We haven’t actually. She’s just the most booked and busy. She’s in London at the moment, I think. But no, I think other than she’s just like, ‘Whoa, you go.’”

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Songbird and the Future

Much of the Thunderbolts* cast is returning for Avengers: Doomsday, and with their role as the New Avengers, they will likely play an important role in the future of the MCU. That means if everyone actually survives Doomsday, we could see all of the Thunderbolts* characters evolve even further, and perhaps that also includes Mel becoming the character we know from the comics.

If Viswanathan playing the role of Songbird is in the cards, she is absolutely up for it, and she would rock Songbird’s trademark pink and white hair in a heartbeat. “I think I could do it exceptionally well. I think I look great in a wig,” Viswanathan said. “I’m down, and I’ve been wanting to change up my hair color for a long time, so it would be perfect. I’m, I’m ready to see it. I want to see what it looks like.”

We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for the Thunderbolts and Songbird, but at least we’ll get to see some of them back on the big screen when Avengers: Doomsday launches next year.

Thunderbolts* is currently streaming on Disney+.

What would you like to see happen for the character moving forward? Let us know in the comments or on the ComicBook forum!

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