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Thunderbolts* Shocks Fans With Secret Songbird Reveal – Was Mel the Missing Team Member All Along?

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Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*.

In essence, Thunderbolts* serves as the much-anticipated team-up film for the Multiverse Saga, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe subtly laying the groundwork for its upcoming superhero alliance to flourish. Notably, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes is the lone MCU veteran on the roster of Thunderbolts*, but the majority of characters have only recently made their debut within the Multiverse Saga. The team boasts three super-soldiers, a combat specialist in Yelena, and Ghost, who possesses the ability to pass through solid matter, including objects and people.

Taskmaster played a role similar to Yelena’s in the movie, which might explain why she died at the beginning of the film to kickstart the Thunderbolts storyline. The 2025 MCU movie featured several popular Marvel characters and showcased intriguing powers, but some viewers criticized the overlapping abilities among multiple characters and the fact that the Thunderbolts didn’t seem to include characters connected to the team in the comics. It looks like the ideal hero to address these concerns was already there, possibly waiting for a future Thunderbolts sequel to reveal his connections.

Geraldine Viswanathan’s Mel Plays A Key Role In Thunderbolts*

Bucky Barnes Needed Her Help To Form His Superhero Team

Geraldine Viswanathan steps into her Marvel Cinematic Universe introduction in the upcoming film, Thunderbolts, as Mel – an assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Previously, Ayo Edebiri from The Bear was set for this part but had to withdraw due to scheduling issues. Given Edebiri’s initial casting, it seemed that Mel might be more complex than initially perceived. In Thunderbolts, Mel assumes a pivotal position in supporting the newly formed superhero squad, despite not being a member herself.

It’s through Mel’s assistance that Bucky Barnes is able to follow and eventually persuade her to join him in taking down Valentina, a task which ultimately leads to the Thunderbolts being traced and later joining forces with Bucky at the former Avengers Tower, now serving as the New Avengers’ headquarters (as hinted in the post-credits scene of Thunderbolts). Yet, there may be hidden depths to Mel that the movie doesn’t fully reveal.

Mel Is Theorized To Be Melissa Gold AKA Songbird From The Comics

Thunderbolts* Might Have Hidden An Original Team Member From The Comics

In the comics, the initial lineup of the Thunderbolts featured figures such as Zemo and Songbird. However, none of these original characters from the comic book team appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movie version – at least, it appears that way. Following the Thunderbolts, I believe it would be fitting for Geraldine Viswanathan’s character, Mel, to be unveiled as Melissa Gold, aka Songbird. A strong hint linking these characters is their names, as “Mel” may well be a shortened form of “Melissa.” Another clue is the bird necklace that Mel wears in Thunderbolts.

In every Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) production, they subtly set up future characters and plotlines. By naming Viswanathan’s character Mel and giving her a bird necklace, it seems like a hint that Songbird was indeed in the Thunderbolts team, and we might witness her superhero persona unfold in the future. In the comics, Songbird possesses sonic abilities, such as emitting powerful screams to disable foes, crafting solid structures from sound, and so on. At this point in Thunderbolts, Mel doesn’t appear to have powers like Songbird, but a project similar to the Sentry experiment could potentially transform her into Songbird.

Songbird Could Join The Team In Avengers: Doomsday

The New Avengers Will Return In The 2026 Movie

It’s unlikely that Mel will have to wait for a Thunderbolts sequel to portray Songbird if the Marvel Cinematic Universe is indeed taking that direction with the character, given the strong indications. In fact, it seems quite possible that Mel might transition into a superhero as early as next year. This is because, almost all members of the Thunderbolts team are rumored to reappear in Avengers: Doomsday. Although Viswanathan was not among the announced cast for the Marvel movie, it’s been hinted that not everyone who will appear in the Avengers film has been revealed yet.

Thunderbolts* Cast Member Character
Sebastian Stan James “Bucky” Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Florence Pugh Yelena Belova, A.K.A. Black Widow
Wyatt Russell John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent
David Harbour Alexei Shostakov, A.K.A. Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen Ava Starr, A.K.A. Ghost
Olga Kurylenko Antonia Dreykov, A.K.A. Taskmaster
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Lewis Pullman Bob (Sentry/The Void)
Geraldine Viswanathan Mel

It’s possible that character Mel may be among those yet to be revealed in Avengers: Doomsday. Given her pivotal role in the Thunderbolts storyline and potential ties with Bucky, it seems plausible for her to reappear. Alternatively, she might be offering technical assistance to the New Avengers since Yelena Belova hinted that they now have control over Mel and OXE. If the Avengers require aid following the Thunderbolts saga, reaching out to a trusted ally like Mel would make strategic sense.

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2025-05-03 15:19

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