Julia Louis-Dreyfus discusses if her character, CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, is a hero or a villain in Thunderbolts. Valentina has appeared in three Marvel films: Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Throughout these films, the mysterious MCU character has encountered villains and anti-heroes as possible recruits for her crew, including Yelena Belova and US Agent, but her motivations were initially unclear. Her motivations became clearer in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when she sought the nation’s vibranium. Dreyfuss is expected to reprise the character in Thunderbolts in a significantly larger role, which was recently announced for a July 2024 release date.
Louis-Dreyfus reacts to Jimmy Kimmel Live’s question regarding whether Valentina is a hero or a villain.
She responds that it’s unclear to her, but she believes her character is a mix of the two. Louis-Dreyfus, who jokes that she occasionally has to ask her boys to explain portions of the MCU, acknowledges that she had trouble grasping Valentina’s whole story when executives offered her the role. See her complete quote below:
Valentina, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is most likely a villain.
Valentina’s motives appear to be aligned with governmental interests in her appearances thus far, albeit she frequently employs dubious techniques. She distorts the facts about Natasha’s death in the Black Widow post-credit scene so that Yelena will go after Hawkeye, believing he is to blame. Valentina recruits John Walker after he is dishonorably discharged as Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Finally, in Wakanda Forever, Valentina expresses her belief that the US should go to any length to obtain Wakanda’s vibranium. Valentina is a master manipulator who believes that “all is fair in war,” hence she is more likely to take on a more evil role in Phase 5. Although her shadiness is obvious, her position is undoubtedly hazy and convoluted.
The next Thunderbolts film from Marvel could be Val’s big break.
Valentina, previously only seen in cameos and tiny snippets, will be seen considerably more in Thunderbolts. The upcoming Phase 5 film appears to have Yelena (Florence Pugh) leading the Thunderbolts team, which includes anti-heroes John (Wyatt Russell) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan). Given that Valentina recruited both Yelena and John, it stands to reason that she will play a larger role in the film as a figure who, for better or worse, resembles Nick Fury. It’s unclear whether she’ll end herself at odds with these anti-heroes, but she’ll almost certainly try to carry out her objectives at whatever cost.
Valentina is an intriguing addition to the MCU since she is an ambiguous and fascinating character who may be explored in the Multiverse Saga. She is well-played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Louis-Dreyfus’ portrayal of Valentina gets clearer with each film in which she appears, as evidenced in Wakanda Forever when she performs an act with her ex-husband Agent Ross (Martin Freeman). The CIA director is ambitious and calculating but difficult to read. She keeps her genuine ambitions hidden, making it tough to figure out her endgame. Thunderbolts will hopefully learn more about Valentina in the not-too-distant future.
