Who is Geraldine Viswanathan's Character in Marvel's Thunderbolts*?

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is full of some of the universe’s most interesting characters. The titular team is comprised of some of the, let’s say C-list heroes we’ve come to know and love over recent years. But there is one character in the film who has a bit more mystery around her.

Who exactly is Geraldine Viswanathan playing in Thunderbolts*?

Viswanathan’s character in this latest film from Marvel Studios was never really in the spotlight in the build up to its release, and with good reason. There are so many other big characters we’ve known from previous films and series who demanded the focus. However, while she’s not exactly the star of the new film, she does play a fairly significant role.

We never really heard anything about the character before the film, but we now know that her name is Mel. In fact, that’s the only name we ever hear her called throughout the film, no last name. And while this could simply be an original character named Mel who serves as nothing more than an assistant to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Marvel tends to go to its nearly endless well of existing characters more often than not.

So who could Mel possibly be?

In the comics, one of the founding members of the Thunderbolts team was a character who now goes by the name Songbird. The character possesses a slate of sound-based powers that allow her to emit sonic blasts, manipulate emotions and even fly. Additionally, she has had a long-standing relationship with and respect for Bucky Barnes.

So why do we think Mel is this character? Well, for starters, Songbird’s real name is Melissa Gold. Marvel tends to be more subtle with these kinds of things, especially with characters they want to bring along slowly. So rather than just saying her name outright, it makes sense that she would only be referred to as Mel.

Another hint at this character being Songbird is a necklace she is seen wearing during the film. Mel sports a gold chain with a small pendant of a bird on it. This could be nothing, but again, when it comes to Marvel films, these things are rarely just coincidence.

But the strongest argument for Mel really being the MCU’s Songbird is simply their shared connection to the Thunderbolts. Songbird, in the comics, has been attached to the super team for most of her life. Mel is now clearly also attached to the team, though not yet quite in the same way.

It’s unclear how Songbird would be used in the MCU going forward, if at all, given the ending of the film. We won’t get into that here, but you can read all about it in our post-credits scene breakdown. Perhaps, given the casting, Mel would be a better fit with the Young Avengers, or maybe another team will be formed in the future. We’ll have to wait and see what this character’s role will be in the MCU.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is now in theaters.