The actor revealed that he would simultaneously work back and forth on Stranger Things 5 and Thunderbolts.

Netflix

Next year is going to be a massive milestone for David Harbour. The Emmy-nominated actor is best known for his role as Chief James’ Jim’ Hopper in the Netflix supernatural drama Stranger Things. The actor’s popularity from that show has led him to worldwide acclaim, eventually landing him a prominent role in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow. The actor now plays Red Guardian in the shared continuity and is set to reprise his role in the forthcoming film Thunderbolts.

It turns out that he’ll be simultaneously taking on both projects next year together. Talking to Collider, the actor revealed that he has signed on to work on both Stranger Things 5 and Thunderbolts simultaneously. He says that his team is at work to structure his routine for the time being, but since both projects are being shot in Atlanta, he may have leverage in managing his time between the two projects.
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It’s going to have to be a back-and-forth with me. They’re going to have to sort of share me. And so it is kind of like, I don’t know exactly how they’re working it, but it’s a week on, week off, two weeks on, two weeks off, something like that where I would go back and forth. They both are being shot in Atlanta. That may have also been structured in a certain way, but yes, it is helpful. So I can just literally shoot a scene in Stranger Things and get in my car and run over to the Marvel scene to shoot a scene there maybe.

David Harbour was confirmed to be a part of Thunderbolts at this year’s D23 Expo, where Kevin Feige announced the whole team-up for the project, including Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, and Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent. On the other hand, Harbour will be having an emotional time at Stranger Things 5, the season finale which will culminate in the show. Hence, both are two significantly varying projects. While one will see his favorite character departing from the screen, the other will bring him to the forefront of a massive franchise. Hopefully, we’ll see the best of him in both roles.

Related: David Harbour Offers a Stranger Things Season 5 Update & Talks Hopper’s Fate

Harbour is Aware of How Thunderbolts will Unravel

Marvel Studios

Though there is no perfect screenplay ready for Thunderbolts, David Harbour knows the film’s planned story and how it sets in the MCU. The actor said the movie would drop a ‘bomb’ that would add much more to the franchise, bringing Phase Five to an exciting near end.

I have not read a script, but I have been told the arc of the story and how the story goes. It’s very cool. It’s very unique. It also has all this cool action and comedy, from what has been described to me, and then there is a bomb drop thing we add to the universe, which will be very exciting for the movie to do at the end of this particular phase that we’re ending.

There is still time for Thunderbolts. Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Widow) is penning the film, while Jake Schreier is attached to direct. The film will release in mid-2024 and will be the second-to-last film of Phase Five of the MCU. Earlier, Thunderbolts would be the final film of the Phase, but later, Blade got delayed and took that spot. However, Thunderbolts will take place after Blade in the timeline. The film is about a team of anti-heroes brought together by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the current director of CIA in the MCU. De Fontaine’s character first appeared in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier when she recruited John Walker as U.S. Agent. Later it’s revealed that Yelena Belova is already under her employment. It would be interesting to see how Red Guardian comes on board the team in Thunderbolts.

Thunderbolts is expected to release on July 24, 2024.