2025 is the summer of Rays*, but 2024 is brat summer.
Speaking to ET’s Ash Crossan on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con, the cast of Marvel Rays* opened up about everything from Charli XCX’s success brat is impacting your summer and your characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading up to the highly anticipated film, which hits theaters in May.
O Rays* The team includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov (Red Guardian), Wyatt Russell as John Walker (U.S. Agent), Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Lewis Pullman as Bob (strongly believed to be the Sentry character), Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr (Ghost) and Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov (Captain). Also returning from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier It is Black Widow is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Stan — one of the MCU’s longest-serving veterans — spoke to ET and compared the group’s new film to Friends, but with a more violent and chaotic touch (more than the typical antics that Ross, Joey, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe do).
“I think they’re definitely like, you know, misfits and losers and they have a certain amount of self-hatred,” Harbour added of the team. “They trip over their own feet and that’s what makes them extraordinary and makes them able to do things that other teams can’t do.”
In the trailer shown only inside Hall H during Comic-Con, Louis-Dreyfus’ character declares that growing up is about realizing that “there are bad guys and there are worse guys,” implying that her team of super-skilled, ragtag agents are willing to wreak havoc as they take on missions. The film draws inspiration from the comic book series of the same name about the team of antiheroes assembled by Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, a role originated by William Hurt, but recast as Harrison Ford after Hurt’s death in March 2022.
While the trailer hasn’t been released online, ET was in the audience and can confirm that the film follows each character at a crossroads and feeling directionless in their lives. Led by their search for purpose, each character is drawn together (after an epic-looking battle) to work toward a common goal. It’s no surprise to fans that Louis-Dreyfus’ character is behind the orchestration, as she’s previously appeared in scenes with Russell and Pugh’s characters in several Marvel films and TV shows and has teased that she (like Nick Fury many moons ago) is assembling a team.
So what’s it like having Louis-Dreyfus as your boss? The actors have some ideas.
“Horribly… trendy,” joked Pugh, who first appeared in 2020. Black Widow.
Drive Away Dolls Star Geraldine Viswanathan plays Mel, Valentina’s assistant, who had only nice — and potentially untrue — things to say about her on-screen boss and off-screen friend.
“Valentina is really chill and totally normal and nice and pretty,” she said, stifling a laugh, as history has shown otherwise on the “chill” and “nice” fronts. She may have been influenced by Louis-Dreyfus standing right next to her and listening intently to what his lackey had to say.
As for how the film’s stars are feeling about finally returning to the MCU — many of the actors have only appeared in one project as the main villain — they all told ET that they couldn’t be more ready for not only the project’s release, but for fans to see how it all comes together afterward.
“I’m really excited to be back,” said John-Kamen, who first appeared as his character in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Ghost has the ability to become invisible and intangible, making it incredibly difficult for her opponent to fight. She calls it “a journey” from where Ghost was last seen to how she ends up in Rays*.
“I just got lucky with a team that came back with the people I worked with and the actors and the characters, it’s just incredible,” John-Kamen continued. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team to come back into the MCU with.”
“Every single cast member in this movie makes this story come to life and the reason we’re all laughing and giggling with each other is because we just love working with each other,” Pugh shared. “There’s so much love between all of us.”
She added: “It really was one of those weird, special moments, and we’re so happy to see each other again.”
It’s also worth noting that during the panel on Saturday, the film’s director, Jake Schreier, alluded to the reasoning behind the asterisk in the film’s title. He shared that while the name is most commonly associated with Thaddeus Ross, that may not be the case for this project.
Fans will have to wait and see — and that includes Pugh… or so she says.
“Now we’re ready to race, even without knowing what the asterisk means,” she said, adding: “Don’t point the microphone at me, I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, Louis-Dreyfus — whose hit 2010s HBO series Vice president is experiencing a huge surge in streaming right now thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’s announced presidential bid – she also commented on having a Brat Summer thanks to Rays* It is Vice president being the talk of the town.
“I am brat and I think Valentina is bratdoll,” the legendary comic actress said as her co-star Pullman interjected, “I was learning about brat and we were creating our own phrase.”
The actress replied: “Get with it, man.”
Rays* opens in theaters on May 2, 2025. For more Marvel Cinematic Universe headlines, check out the links below.
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