MCU Star Proclaims Themselves "Your Third Favorite Thunderbolt" Ahead Of Avengers Doomsday Return

An MCU mainstay dubbed themselves "your third-favorite Thunderbolt" before reprising their role in Marvel Studios' upcoming blockbuster, Avengers: Doomsday. Thunderbolts* took the MCU fandom by storm in May 2025, setting up a new, exciting team that could thrive for years to come (albeit one that started off with a massive lie). That team is made up of a few fan-favorite veterans from the MCU's 17-year run, some quite a bit more popular than others.

John Walker actor Wyatt Russell posted a video accepting a challenge to sign a petition to keep the Appalachian Trail Conservancy running. Posting from the Lake Hour Instagram page (an alcoholic beverage company he co-owns), Russell called himself "your third-favorite Thunderbolt" to start the video while accepting the challenge at hand.

Russell returned to the MCU in 2025's Thunderbolts* as John Walker/U.S. Agent. He made his debut in 2021's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which featured John Walker being named the new Captain America after Steve Rogers' retirement/presumed death. Following the end of Thunderbolts*, Walker is now a member of the New Avengers, continuing his work as a hero alongside other popular characters like Yelena Belova, the Winter Soldier, and the Red Guardian.

Avengers: Doomsday will be the MCU's next major team-up movie in Phase 6 and the fifth movie overall for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Russell is one of three Captain America mantle-holders confirmed for the movie, and he will team up with over two dozen other stars in the upcoming battle against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Wyatt Russell's Expected Role in Avengers: Doomsday After Thunderbolts*

While John Walker was more reluctant to join the Thunderbolts team than other heroes, he proved his worth in battle against Sentry and showed his willingness to save people. Now, with a bent shield and a new costume, he will continue his work with that unit under the New Avengers team name as they move from Thunderbolts* to Avengers: Doomsday.

Walker will continue working closely with characters like Bucky Barnes while reuniting with Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and his own team of Avengers. Following what could be an interesting side plot centered on the use of the "Avengers" team name, both teams will have to put aside their differences when Robert Downey Jr.'s Victor von Doom threatens the fabric of reality.

Fans will surely see the U.S. Agent build on his skills as a hero with a new sense of morality and camaraderie within the Thunderbolts team. He will also have his eyes opened to realities with dozens of heroes with powers he has never seen before, especially considering the X-Men's expectedly big roles in the movie.

Specific plot threads for U.S. Agent and the rest of the New Avengers are expected to be kept under wraps for the foreseeable future. However, with a chance that Marvel releases a first look at Doomsday before the end of 2025, fans are eager to see how he will use his skills in his biggest battle yet.