Hannah John-Kamen Reveals the ‘Thunderbolts*’ Scene That Forged a Natural Bond with Florence Pugh and Her New Avengers Co-Stars

Thunderbolts*: The New Avengers Are Born

Marvel fans have been buzzing over the reveal that the asterisk in Thunderbolts* isn't just a typo—it means the team is actually *The New Avengers. And one of the film's breakout stars, Hannah John-Kamen, says the cast's chemistry is the real deal.

The Scene That Tied Them Together

In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly, John-Kamen (who plays Ghost/Ava Starr) dished on the one specific moment that made her feel like part of a family—with Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, and Wyatt Russell.

“There's a specific scene in the movie where it looks like a team-building exercise,” John-Kamen, 35, revealed. “But I remember we did a lot of days of filming on that, and we were all quite physically close to each other.”

That scene? The nerve-wracking elevator shaft escape where the mercenaries—Ghost, Yelena Belova (Pugh), John Walker (Russell), and the mysterious Bob (Pullman)—realize the only way out is up, and together. For lone wolves like these, teamwork doesn't come easy. But off-camera, the stars found their own rhythm.

Off-Camera Games and Genuine Laughter

John-Kamen described how the cast filled waiting hours with old-school fun:

• They played I Spy With My Little Eye.
• They sang songs and cracked jokes.
• They even played the word game Snaps.

“We ended up playing games. We sat, we sang, we played I Spy With My Little Eye. We played the name of the game is Snaps. I mean, that was just fun. That's what I mean: We're just actually, naturally bonded, us all together,” she said.

The actress credits both pre-production rehearsals and location shooting in Utah for forging those bonds. While Marvel stars often scatter across Atlanta soundstages after hours, the Utah shoot in Moab was a different story.

“It felt like we were all out and we were on a school trip,” she told Us with a laugh. “We were kind of released into the wild of Utah, like Moab. That was just amazing. It really was gorgeous.”

John-Kamen explained that the cast stayed in the same hotel, which led to dinners, poolside hangouts, and deeper connections. “Whereas in Utah, we all stayed in the same place, so we're all doing dinners and we're all having fun and spending a lot of time together by the pool and all that. Yeah, that was my favorite time.”

Florence Pugh: The Captain of the Cast

The actress had nothing but praise for her on-screen leader Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh. According to John-Kamen, Pugh truly anchored the film and the cast.

“Honestly, she's absolutely amazing,” John-Kamen gushed. “She really led [the] ship of this movie. She's incredible and she's so open.”

Anyone who has seen the duo's red-carpet dynamic knows the friendship is real. John-Kamen added: “She's so funny, and she just brought this joy all the time on set, as [a] fellow actor, as a friend. She's incredible. We really did bond. Because look, we're all playing these very, very traumatized, really dark, deep characters, and the organic love that you see really is organically us as well. We really brought that into the movie.”

Ghost's Emotional Journey: Learning to Trust

As for her own character, Ava Starr/Ghost, John-Kamen revealed that bonding is a struggle. “She doesn't think she deserves friendship or she doesn't deserve people caring about her, or I think she feels like she doesn't deserve that idea of love and a family 'cause she hasn't ever experienced that,” she explained. “Letting her guard down and having that idea of going, ‘Hang on, actually having someone who can rely on me and maybe I can rely on someone else, maybe that is actually pretty cool. Maybe that is actually something that I don't have to do alone 'cause actually, sometimes, you don't have to do everything on your own.’”

That arc of forced vulnerability is something John-Kamen is excited for audiences to see: “It's a beautiful experience and a journey I think that she is gonna go on with letting her guard down and being forced to let her guard down as well.”

What's Next for the New Avengers?

Marvel faithful know that Thunderbolts* is just the beginning. The film has already stormed to the No. 1 spot at the worldwide box office, and John-Kamen is confirmed to reprise her role in Avengers: Doomsday next year. The post-credits scene dropped major hints about what's to come, and the actress teased her own “big reaction” to that final clip.

With the New Avengers officially assembled, the MCU is entering a thrilling new chapter—and if the behind-the-scenes bonds are any indication, the on-screen chemistry will be electric.

Thunderbolts* (aka *The New Avengers) is in theaters now.

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