In two weeks, Thunderbolts*, the next of the upcoming Marvel movies, will begin playing in theaters, bringing characters like Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova and John Walker together into an unorthodox team of antiheroes (just don’t compare them to the Suicide Squad). Among the newcomers that have been thrown into the mix is Geraldine Viswanathan’s Mel, the assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. However, some fans are convinced that Mel might actually be a hero hiding in plain sight for Thunderbolts*, but honestly, they may be onto something.
This stems from the latest trailer for the 36th theatrical installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which shows Viswanathan wearing a distinct piece of golden jewelry. See for yourself, it’s at the 40 second mark in the preview below:
See that necklace? It’s a metal charm shaped like a bird… or rather, a songbird, if these Marvel fans are correct. Why does that matter? Well, apparently that’s enough for this segment of people looking forward to Thunderbolts* to claim on YouTube and other places that Geraldine Viswanathan is actually playing Melissa Gold, better known in the comics as Songbird.
Originally starting out as a supervillain, Songbird is capable generating a high-pitched sonic scream, similar to DC Comics’ Black Canary. But here’s the best part: she’s been a member of the Thunderbolts, specifically the version of the team that was being run by Normal Osborn during the Dark Reign period of Marvel Comics’ timeline. Combine that information with the necklace Mel is wearing, and this makes for a decent argument that she’ll be the MCU’s Melissa Gold.
However, even if we assume that this prediction is correct, don’t necessarily assume this means that we’ll see Geraldine Viswanathan wear a costume in Thunderbolts* (unlike Bob, whom we’ll see become Sentry). There have been various instances of the MCU using characters who are superheroes in the comics, but never suit up in this franchise. For example, Captain America: Brave New World, which was released on the 2025 movies schedule in February, featured Dennis Dunphy, who goes by Demolition Man on the printed page, but was just a non-costumed military commander in live action.
Still, I’ll cross my fingers that this guess about Geraldine Viswanathan’s character turns out to be true, with or without the accompanying superhero identity. We won’t have to wait too much longer to learn the answer, as Thunderbolts* arrives on May 2.
