‘I don’t know that any of ’em get along’: David Harbour speaks on the tense dynamics between Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’

As Marvel fans prepare for the 2025 release of David Harbour has teased what we can expect in of the dynamics between the film’s main characters. 

Harbour — who appears in the Marvel entry alongside Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell and Sebastian Stan, among others — said the relationship between of the titular superhero team is less than pleasant, which he believes is actually the source of “the fun of the movie.” The actor, who will portray Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, a super-soldier and Russian counterpart to Captain America, said he doesn’t “know that any of [the Thunderbolts ] get along.” 

“They’re thrust together as the worst people in the worst situations,” Harbour added in a recent interview with Creature Commandos — went on to describe the frosty team dynamics at play in Thunderbolts* as “the opposite of a love triangle,” adding that the interactions between each member are filled with “provocation.”

It’s the kind of salty banter we’ve already been teased with, since all the trailers for Thunderbolts* show a group of superheroes who are constantly butting heads and bickering, with hilarious results. The only somewhat friendly relationship we do see is between Harbour’s character and Yelena Belova, since he raised her as his child. The seeming unprofessionalism of the team also makes sense given the movie’s plot, which sees a rag-tag group of antiheroes (clearly unversed in Avengers etiquette) tapped by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to complete a mysterious mission. 

With minimal experience in the superhero game and diverse and colorful backgrounds, it stands to reason that of Thunderbolts would perhaps be reluctant to play nice, especially as de Fontaine’s dubious scheme seems to be reaching a head. While his onscreen counterpart might be averse to his teammates, Harbour himself has nothing but love for her co-stars, whom he said he “instantly connected with.” The actor said this connection allowed the banter between the Thunderbolts to “really translate on the screen,” and with such a starry cast, he’s sure to be right on the money.

Alongside Harbour, Pugh and Louis-Dreyfus, Thunderbolts* will also star Scarlett Johansson — touted as the MCU’s most powerful villain.

In other Thunderbolts* news, Stan, who will Bucky Barnes, said he hopes to Thunderbolts* will explain why there is an asterisk in the title. Thunderbolts* hits cinemas in May of next year, and will serve as the final film in Phase Five of the MCU.