Thunderboltsdirector Jake Schreier hinted at the future of a potential MCU superhero (or villain).Thunderboltsassembled a team of characters introduced in projects likeBlack Widow,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,andAnt-Man and the Wasp, with the big new character being Bob Reynolds / The Sentry. However, it also secretly introduced another Marvel Comics character in the supporting cast, as Val’s assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) is the MCU version of Melissa Gold, also known as Songbird, a key member of the Thunderbolts in the comics.
While Mel did not suit up as a member of the team inThunderbolts*, director Jake Schreier hints that the character might be developed more in the future. Speaking withComicbook Movie, Schreier mentioned the reasoning behind making Mel Val’s assistant, even though she wasn’t going to suit up for the team, as he wanted to leave hints for what could come in future projects. Schreier even hinted at Mel’s Songbird persona with the character wearing a necklace of the bird towards the film’s climax. Schreier said:
“I think we all wanted, even in Congressman Gary, to just verify that all the characters there were hints towards deeper connections within the MCU. [There are] places these things could go later, and it’ll be fun to see if that gets picked up on or not.”
‘Thunderbolts*’ Writer Reveals Scrapped Plans for Multiple Popular MCU Characters
Co-writer Eric Pearson reveals scrapped plans for Man-Thing, Bill Foster, and…the Red Hulk?!
Songbird’s MCU Future
Songbird,originally named Screaming Mimi, was created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and John Byrne. Debuting inMarvel Two-in-One#54 (August 1979), she was originally a villain before becoming a key member of the original Thunderbolts lineup and was later brought into the Civil War rebrand of the team, joining The New Avengers in 2015. Her signature power is a sonic scream, which can also include hypnotic songs and even the construction of solid objects from song. She also tends to have some form of flight. The MCU version of Mel is a pared-down version, displaying no superhuman abilities.
While Mel did not suit up as a member of theThunderbolts or the newly named New Avengers, the film provided potential hints that she might take on the Songbird persona. In addition to the Songbird necklace, sonic weapons are used multiple times in the film to disable Ghost. These sonic weapons could be the seeds for Songbird’s signature scream power, with the character being reworked from a superpowered individual to a tech-based character. If Songbird is developed into a future film, it will likely appear in Phase 7, following bothAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. Geraldine Viswanathan is currently not confirmed to return inAvengers: Doomsday.
WhileThunderbolts*might not have been the MCU record breaker some hoped,the movie received positive reviews from fans and criticsthat could build a solid foundation for future films. Much likeCaptain America: The First Avenger,Thor, orAnt-Man, a solid first film built the foundation for bigger and more successful sequels. Following the Thunderbolts/New Avengers role inAvengers: Doomsday, which exposed them to a broader audience, a sequel could become an even bigger hit, allowing the team to expand its roster and enabling Geraldine Viswanathan to suit up as Songbird and become the MCU’s newest hero.
Source:Comicbook Movie
Thunderbolts*
