Eric Pearson

Eric Pearson? Oh, he's one of those names that keeps popping up if you’re into comic book movies. The guy’s got his fingerprints all over some of the MCU’s wilder rides. He helped pen Thor: Ragnarok, which, let’s be real, basically flipped the whole Thor vibe on its head—suddenly, Norse gods were cracking jokes, fighting for their lives in gladiator pits, and smacking down Jeff Goldblum. Not exactly your grandma’s superhero flick. And then there’s Black Widow, where Pearson took Natasha Romanoff out of the shadowy SHIELD corridors and threw her headfirst into family drama, Russian super-soldiers, and a whole lotta explosions. The script somehow made a character we’d known for years actually feel more complicated—like, who knew Natasha had that much going on beneath the stoic assassin act? Now, Thunderbolts* is the next stop on Pearson’s Marvel rollercoaster, coming in 2025. If you haven’t heard, it’s Marvel’s answer to the question, “What if a team of antiheroes and misfits had to save the world?” It’s a bunch of not-quite-villains who’ve all made questionable life choices—think Yelena, Bucky Barnes, maybe even Taskmaster—thrown together for one chaotic mission. Pearson’s got the knack for mixing sharp dialogue with big action, so you can bet this one won’t be your standard good-guy romp. Basically, the dude’s has a talent for making superhero movies that don’t just punch and explode, but actually surprise you.