While Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has an all-star cast, it also has to deal with one actor’s departure who shines in two recent Disney hits. The upcoming MCU film is one of the franchise’s most exciting impending projects, partly due to the stellar Thunderbolts* movie cast, which includes many of Marvel’s best actors and characters, such as Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Unfortunately, the cast has lost some incredible talent, including Beef‘s Steven Yeun. Yeun was set to play Sentry, but left due to scheduling conflicts and was later replaced with Lewis Pullman.

Another rising star who was attached to Thunderbolts* but had to leave the project is Ayo Edebiri, replaced by Geraldine Viswanathan. Edebiri’s career took off after her role in The Bear, and it continues to grow with recent roles in films like Bottoms, Theater Camp, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The actor is having an excellent summer with starring roles in two major hits for Disney, and these both serve as a sad reminder that she won’t appear in the MCU timeline.

Inside Out 2 And The Bear Are Sad Reminders That Ayo Edebiri Left Thunderbolts*

Edebiri has significant roles in two of Disney’s recent success stories, Inside Out 2 and The Bear season 3. Inside Out 2 is dominating the box office, currently having accumulated $1.25 billion worldwide and becoming Pixar’s highest-grossing film of all time. It is now also the fifth highest-grossing animated film of all time, behind 2019’s The Lion King, Frozen II, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Frozen. Meanwhile, The Bear season 3 is breaking streaming records on Disney+/Hulu, hitting 5.4 million views in four days – making it the best premiere of any Hulu scripted series.

The Bear has already been a hit for Hulu, having received plenty of accolades – including winning an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2022. Edebiri won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023 for her role as Sydney Adamu. In season 3, Edebiri also directed episode 6, showcasing her strong talent in front of and behind the camera. In Inside Out 2, Edebiri voiced Envy, a new emotion in Riley’s mind. While it was a smaller part, she still brought plenty of comedy to the film, and both these projects show her comedic and dramatic acting talents.

Geraldine Viswanathan Is Still An Excellent Addition To The Star-Studded Cast

Edebiri’s 2024 success does make this departure from the Thunderbolts* movie hurt more. The actor would be an excellent addition to the MCU, and Marvel will likely look for another role for her in future projects. However, Edebiri’s replacement, Geraldine Viswanathan, is still a great addition to the roster. It’s unclear who Viswanathan will play, but she has proven herself a talented actor in projects such as Blockers, Miracle Workers, and Bad Education, with a knack for blending comedy and drama that should fit into the MCU perfectly.

Additionally, the cast of Thunderbolts* is so good that Edebiri and Yeun’s absences may not be as missed. In addition to Pugh and Stan, the cast also includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Harrison Ford, Hannah John-Kamen, and Olga Kurylenko. This is arguably one of Marvel’s greatest casts outside its Avengers films, and it’s a shame Edebiri won’t be a part of it, even though it’s still a promising overall roster.