Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Wyatt Russell, portraying U.S. Agent, aims to defy critics of the upcoming Thunderbolts film.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Russell expressed his determination to overturn doubts about Thunderbolts, leveraging his ice hockey experience to fuel his performance.

“We approached this as a team ready to create something unique and exceptional, proving skeptics wrong,” Russell stated.

“With my athletic background, I’m driven to make audiences rethink their doubts about this film,” he added.

Russell noted that Thunderbolts poses a unique challenge as it features anti-heroes without standalone origin films, unlike the Avengers’ well-established introductions.

Thunderbolts features Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster, Lewis Pullman as Bob / Sentry / Void, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr / Ghost, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker / U.S. Agent.

“Few characters in this movie have extensive backstories in the Marvel universe,” Russell explained.

“This isn’t Captain America, Thor, or Iron Man. It’s a group of misfits. Kevin Feige challenged director Jake Schreier and our cast to embrace this, and we were all in,” he said.

“I won’t speak for everyone, but many of us didn’t follow a straight path to this project. I did obscure TV shows for years, David Harbour has a long Broadway career, and Sebastian had a full career before Marvel. Florence, too, has built a diverse portfolio.”

The Thunderbolts: The Chaotic Legacy of Marvel's Unconventional Super-Team

This month, Sebastian Stan shared his pre-MCU career struggles with Vanity Fair. Before landing the role of the Winter Soldier, a $65,000 residuals payment from Hot Tub Time Machine kept him afloat. Stan played Blaine in the 2010 sci-fi comedy before starring alongside Chris Evans in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

“I was struggling to find work,” Stan revealed. “My business manager called to say a $65,000 residuals check from Hot Tub Time Machine saved me.”

Stan reprised his role in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers films, this year’s Captain America: Brave New World, and will return as the superhero in next month’s Thunderbolts. Stan’s inclusion in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal suggests Bucky and other Thunderbolts members, including John Walker, will remain key players in the MCU.