Superfans of Veep know and appreciate the degree of involvement Julia Louis-Dreyfus had in the making of that series. From casting choices and story input to even being the primary driver behind the show's move from Baltimore to Los Angeles between Seasons 4 and 5, Louis-Dreyfus aided the success of Veep beyond her legendary portrayal of Selina Myers.
It would be understandable, then, if joining one of the most creatively-controlled franchises proved challenging for the actor, who also produced the final season of The New Adventures of Old Christine and the indie gem You Hurt My Feelings. But Louis-Dreyfus says she never found the imposing nature of Marvel an impediment, thanks to director Jake Schreier.
"I certainly didn't produce the film, but he [Schreier] was interested in any thoughts I had, let's put it that way, and I wasn't shy to say what they were," Louis-Dreyfus shares with Exclaim! ahead of her surprise appearance at an early screening of Thunderbolts* in Toronto. "Sometimes they were heard, and sometimes we could discuss at great length from a storytelling point of view and from an actual script point of view."
Thunderbolts*, now in theatres, marks Louis-Dreyfus's first leading role in a Marvel film, having previously made a brief appearance as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and a cameo during the end credits scene of Black Widow.
She adds, "We had pretty in-depth conversations, and that's to his great credit. He's collaborative and was really interested in trying to elevate this movie and make it have a little more grit and rawness. That's all on him."
It's no secret that Marvel has struggled to retain the interest of even its most ardent fans since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. The subsequent Multiverse Saga has been a mixed bag thus far, causing Marvel to recalibrate and pare down their offerings, focusing on quality over quantity. (For reference: the last "phase" of the Infinity Saga delivered a whopping 11 films stretched across just four years; at the time of writing, Marvel has scheduled only four films over three years as the final phase of the Multiverse Saga.)
Thunderbolts* sits in a precarious position. It concludes the middle phase of the Multiverse Saga, and potentially sets the tone for the finale — a tone that's markedly different, as Louis-Dreyfus notes.
Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko and Hannah John-Kamen form a ragtag team, with Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina pulling the strings from behind the curtain. The group of misfits goes up against a mysterious figure who sinks its foes into a pit of regret. The film tackles quite mature themes for Marvel, including depression, alienation and moral regrets.
Central to the film is the idea that our past need not define or dictate our future. Ultimately, we hold the power and ownership over our lives to change as we wish — a concept Louis-Dreyfus connects with professionally and personally.
"Many times that's happened in my life," she says, referencing the instances where she thought a decision she made would negatively stick with her forever.
"You can learn from failure and you can learn from tough experiences. And I have. I think there's a way to think positively even about the worst moments, in a strange way," Louis-Dreyfus observes.
Over a career that's spanned five decades, Louis-Dreyfus has earned just about every award related to comedy there is to earn. Seinfeld and Veep are widely considered some of the best comedic television ever put to tape — and The New Adventures of Old Christine is nothing to turn a nose up either. Tack on iconic guest roles on Arrested Development, 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Louis-Dreyfus not only becomes one of the most awarded actors, but she rightfully becomes our generation's keeper of the torch Lucille Ball lit and Carol Burnett fanned.
The last few years has seen Louis-Dreyfus enter her own new phase, with film becoming her primary medium, as well as a fantastic podcast, Wiser Than Me, where she interviews older women in the hopes of learning from their wisdom and experience.
After having achieved so much in her career, Louis-Dreyfus simply points to "curiosity" as her current driving force: "I want to do things I haven't done before."