Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan is set to join the star-studded cast of Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, according to American entertainment website Deadline. She will be stepping into the shoes of Ayo Edebiri, who is leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts arising from the delays caused by last year’s dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Geraldine is the second recent addition to the Thunderbolts cast, after Steven Yeun pulled out for similar reasons as Ayo Edebiri and Lewis Pullman stepped in. The ensemble cast of Thunderbolts — set to release in July 2025 — includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen and Olga Kurylenko. The film’s plot revolves around a group of government-commissioned villains on daring missions.

Born and raised in Newcastle, Australia, Geraldine is of mixed heritage — her father, Suresh Viswanathan, is of Indian descent and her mother, Anja Raith, is Swiss. The 28-year-old actress gained widespread recognition for her breakthrough role as Kayla in the 2018 film Blockers.

Geraldine attended the Hunter School of Performing Arts in Newcastle, honing her craft before making waves in the entertainment industry. Refinery 29 dubbed her the breakout star of Blockers, propelling her into the spotlight.

Following her success in Blockers, Geraldine continued to make a mark with lead roles in the 2019 film Hala and the TBS sitcom anthology Miracle Workers, where she starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi. Her portfolio includes stints in the 2019 crime drama film Bad Education and Australian TV series Janet King. At the start of her career, Geraldine appeared in Emo the Musical (2016) and the short film Moose, and was part of the all-female comedy sketch group Freudian Nip.

Geraldine’s upcoming projects include Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls co-starring Margaret Qualley and the Amazon comedy You’re Cordially Invited, where she will share the screen with Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon.