The Thunderbolts* cast primarily consists of characters who previously appeared in various Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, but there are some new faces in the ensemble as well. Chief among the additions is Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel Gold, who works as an assistant to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. That name might be familiar to Marvel Comics readers; in the comics, Mel becomes the superhero known as Songbird. Her inclusion in Thunderbolts* led some to speculate that Songbird could be featured in the film, but that didn’t come to fruition. While the character’s future in the MCU remains unclear, Viswanathan is hoping she gets a chance to play Mel’s alter ego.
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Speaking with ComicBook to promote the release of Thunderbolts* on Disney+, Viswanathan expressed her desire to portray Songbird on screen, saying she’d look great with the character’s signature pink and white hair. “I think I could do it exceptionally well. I think I look great in a wig,” she 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.”
Will Songbird Appear in a Future MCU Movie?
Thunderbolts* got the MCU back on track in terms of critical reception, earning largely positive reviews. Sporting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88%, Thunderbolts* received praise for its emotional, character-driven story that explored heavy topics such as mental health. Marvel was so impressed with how the film turned out that Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier was hired to direct the upcoming X-Men reboot. Despite all the positive word of mouth, Thunderbolts* performed poorly at the box office. It’s one of the lowest-grossing MCU installments, earning just $382.4 million worldwide.
Though Thunderbolts* found success on various home media platforms, its underwhelming box office haul raised questions about Marvel’s future. Shortly after it became clear Thunderbolts* was going to go down as a disappointment, reports indicated Marvel could rethink its film strategy moving forward, prioritizing projects about premier brands and characters (Spider-Man and the Avengers). Marvel is also looking for ways to cut back on production costs, such as casting younger, relatively unknown actors for X-Men. Several Thunderbolts* characters are set to return as part of the New Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday, but a direct sequel hasn’t been announced.
This is all to say there’s no guarantee Viswanathan will get an opportunity to play Songbird. She was not part of the Doomsday cast announced earlier this year. There’s always a chance she could be part of the next wave of confirmations, but right now, it seems unlikely she’ll be in Doomsday. That film already has a ton of characters to balance, featuring multiple superhero teams participating in the fight against Doctor Doom. Establishing a minor Thunderbolts* character as a hero for the first time could be jarring, taking away necessary screen time for all the veteran heroes in the film.
Whether a Thunderbolts* sequel happens or not will obviously depend on how those characters’ arcs unfold in the forthcoming Avengers movies. That seems like the best place to bring Songbird into the fold, as Thunderbolts* 2 would be able to focus entirely on that group of characters. But considering Thunderbolts*’ box office numbers, the odds of such a follow-up getting off the ground are low. Avengers: Secret Wars will serve as a reset of the MCU, allowing Kevin Feige and Co. to essentially wipe the slate clean and move ahead with a new saga. What characters and elements from the Multiverse Saga get carried over remain to be seen. It’d be fun to see someone like Songbird get her moment in the spotlight, but fans might have to make do with Mel’s bird necklace Easter egg.
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