According to Deadline, Ayo Edebiri has exited from Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts due to scheduling issues. Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers) is set to replace Edebiri in a mystery role. Edebiri’s departure came as a result of 2023’s WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes, which caused Thunderbolts‘ filming to be delayed from last year to March or April. That has affected the upcoming MCU movie in a huge way.

Thunderbolts’ Cast Changes Explained

Thunderbolts‘ first major loss was that of The Walking Dead‘s Yeun. The actor was rumored to play Sentry in the film, with The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman confirming that Yeun was indeed playing Marvel’s Superman-like character and had even tried out the hero’s costume. Yeun later commented on his departure from the movie, revealing that it was due to scheduling conflicts and that he still wanted to be part of an MCU movie in the future.

Following Yeun’s exit from Marvel’s Thunderbolts, multiple names were rumored to have received offers to star as Bob Reynolds, aka Sentry, in the film. Among the names are Ryan Gosling, Dev Patel, and Euphoria‘s Austin Abrams. However, Top Gun: Maverick’s Lewis Pullman was reported to be in consideration to play Sentry. Now, Deadline‘s report of Edebiri’s exit addressed Pullman’s Thunderbolts casting, saying, “Viswanathan is the second recent addition after the film added Lewis Pullman to step in for Steven Yeun.”

While Kirkman helped confirm that Yeun was initially set to play Sentry in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, Edebiri’s role in the film, which will now be played by Viswanathan, remains a secret. The actress was rumored to play Songbird in Thunderbolts. In the comics, the character was one of the founding members of the team, so her presence in the MCU movie would make sense. With production on Thunderbolts starting in the next couple of months, the mystery role could be revealed soon.

Thunderbolts releases on July 25, 2025.