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Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is growing. The actor has been a pop culture icon for decades, thanks to her breakout role as Elaine in the cult-classic TV series Seinfeld. Over the years, she has appeared in a wide variety of movies, from comedies to dramas, and through it all, she’s proven that she likes to keep fans on their toes.

Now, she plays the Marvel character Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (or Lady Hydra?). With a new Marvel movie in the works and several appearances as the Contessa under her belt, it seems like the actor is just getting started. As she revealed in a recent interview with Variety, she had a very specific reason for wanting to get involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one that involves her two sons. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Marvel character debuted in 2021

MCU actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus (R) talks to Wyatt Russell in a scene from 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.'
Wyatt Russell (L) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (R)

Louis-Dreyfus made her first appearance as the Contessa in the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Her surprise role was small but pivotal to moving the story forward by the end of the limited series. That same year, Louis-Dreyfus had a cameo role in the high-profile MCU movie Black Widow.

Valentina once again stepped into the spotlight when Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a cameo is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, revealing herself as the new director of the CIA. Right now, Valentina’s motives are unclear, but with her wild sense of humor and hint of dangerous energy, fans are liking what they are seeing so far, and many are speculating that she could be the most dangerous villain in the MCU.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus opened up about her reason for joining the MCU

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Louis-Dreyfus was excited about the opportunity to play such a pivotal role in the MCU – although not for the reasons that many fans might think. In a recent interview with Variety, Louis-Dreyfus opened up about playing Valentina. The actor admitted she met with Marvel studio heads to discuss the role “a while back,” revealing that she told Marvel boss Kevin Feige that she would be open to becoming part of the MCU.

“The next thing I know, they called and they said they had this character,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “The Contessa is actually in the comics and I said ‘yeah, that sounds amazing, I’m totally down for that.'” When asked how her family felt about her role as the legendary character, Louis-Dreyfus said “Yeah, that’s the reason I’m doing it. For real. That is the reason I’m doing it. They are like…they’re insane for Marvel.”

Her next MCU movie is ‘Thunderbolts’

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ next MCU project will see her stepping into the spotlight in a big way. The actor is preparing to shoot the feature film Thunderbolts, which will reportedly feature appearances from such fan-favorite Marvel characters as Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova. As Louis-Dreyfus told Variety, she’s ready to get going on the film, which will start production in the summer of 2023 for a 2024 release.

“I told them I really, really want to fight. We’ll see if that happens. I haven’t seen the script yet,” she said, joking that she “better get in shape” for Marvel’s infamous stunt training. For fans, the film is shaping up to be one of the most exciting films of the upcoming Phase Five.

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