Thunderbolts star always thought she'd return as Ghost, even though it's been 7 years since she was introduced to the MCU

Hannah John-Kamen last played Ava Starr, AKA Ghost, seven years ago. The character was introduced in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp as a woman who has an unstable molecular condition as a result of an experiment gone wrong. Although her condition allows her to phase through solid objects, it's also fatal, and she clashes with the movie's heroes in her attempts to stay alive.

Now, though, Ghost returns in Thunderbolts* – albeit in a much more stable, controlled state – reluctantly teaming up with some other familiar faces, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell), to get themselves out of danger. But did John-Kamen expect Ava to have this sort of longevity in the MCU?

"She didn't die," the actor reminds GamesRadar+, laughing. "So, I mean, she has to have been somewhere. So yeah, I fully expected her to come back in some sort of way."

It's a full circle moment for John-Kamen: when she got the call about Thunderbolts*, it took her all the way back to being cast in Ant-Man and the Wasp. "When I first played Ghost, I read all the comics, and it was interesting, Ghost was actually a 'he' in the comic books, and described and referred to as 'he' or 'it'," she tells us.

"I remember reading where Ghost was placed in the comic books, and it was Thunderbolts. And I was like, 'Yes! They're doing Thunderbolts!' I remember my agents called me, and I was like, 'Brilliant,' because it was already in my mind."

Thunderbolts* hits the big screen on May 1 in the UK and May 2 in the US as the final movie in Marvel Phase 5. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other upcoming Marvel movies on the way in 2025 and beyond, or get up to speed on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.