Thunderbolts’ Mel May Be Exactly Who We All Thought, Teases Marvel Producer (Report)

A producer on Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* addressed the identity of Geraldine Viswanathan's Mel, who seems to be the exact character fans expected to see. The MCU's final Phase 5 film included veterans from past movies and TV shows and a handful of newcomers, some of whom still had plenty of mystery surrounding them by the movie's final frames.

Thunderbolts* producer Brian Chapek teased Mel's eventual evolution into Marvel's Songbird following her debut in Thunderbolts*. Although Viswanathan's protagonist was limited to a small supporting role in her debut appearance from the MCU, the stage is set for her to become a much bigger player later on.

Speaking with IMDb, Chapek vaguely mentioned Mel when asked for a behind-the-scenes fact about the film, pointing out the songbird emblem seen on her necklace. Addressing the fact that the songbird emblem may hint at Mel's "larger identity moving forward," all he would say was, "potentially," seemingly confirming Viswanathan's actual character to be Melissa Gold/Songbird:

"There is a character that fans are trying to figure out whether - is she or is she not - I would say, what emblem does she wear that may or may not hint at this character’s larger identity moving forward? Potentially. That's what I would say."

Viswanathan (who replaced The Bear's Ayo Edebiri) was introduced in Thunderbolts* as a mysterious character named Mel, who worked as the assistant for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. She secretly fed information to Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier about the Sentry project, proving to be loyal to the protagonists as Val dove deeper into her obsession with the Sentry project.

In Marvel Comics, Mel is revealed to be Melanie Gold, aka Songbird, which was teased in multiple Thunderbolts* trailers and the movie via Viswanathan wearing a necklace with a songbird. Songbird was one of the original members of the Thunderbolts roster in the comics, and her abilities allow her to manipulate sound into a weapon and influence people's emotions.

Viswanathan is part of a massive cast of characters in Thunderbolts*, the last movie in Marvel Studios' Phase 5 slate. The film centers on a new team of MCU antiheroes and former villains who assemble to take on Val. However, they are also forced to stop one of the most powerful villains in Marvel history, Lewis Pullman's Sentry. Thunderbolts* is playing in theaters worldwide.

When Will Songbird Fully Arrive in the MCU?

In the lead-up to Thunderbolts*, Viswanathan only offered minor details about her role as Mel, calling her "idealistic" and saying "her heart is in the right place." The big question moving forward is when Mel will take the next step and evolve into Songbird in the MCU, particularly with the Multiverse Saga almost over.

Many hope she will join the already-extensive cast of Avengers: Doomsday, which has 27 confirmed actors but is expected to add dozens more by the film's release. However, her superhero origins could get overshadowed in a movie like this, which already features heroes from the X-Men, New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and more.

Looking ahead, the project in which this evolution happens likely has not been announced yet, especially with only a few confirmed movies in Phase 6 and plenty more waiting to be announced.

For now, as the New Avengers take their place in the greater MCU, the hope is that Mel will play a bigger role with that team. This could lead to her ultimately getting her incredible powers and showing how she stands next to Marvel's biggest names.