This coming year is sure to cement David Harbour as Hollywood’s premier workhorse; before long, the Stranger Things actor will be fielding the herculean task of filming Thunderbolts, one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most intriguing upcoming films, and the final season of Stranger Things – the show that skyrocketed his career and the crown jewel of Netflix originals – at the same time.
Swapping the hats of Jim Hopper and Red Guardian for the sake of keeping both high-profile properties on schedule will be anything but easy, and while Harbour himself revealed in an interview with Discussing Film that the mere thought of the task brings fatigue, the fact that he gets to be involved with two such projects makes the exhaustion worth it.
“Yeah, I’m feeling exhausted already. I feel like I need a nap. Just thinking about the year, it’s going to be crazy. It’s nothing like I’ve ever done before… But, you know, I’m young and virile, so I figured I’d be able to do it. It’s going to be a hell of a summer. It’s going to be just a lot of work, but it’s a blessing. You know, I’m doing two amazing projects. So I’m fine with being exhausted.”
To make matters even more complicated, Harbour will have to flip quite the switch whenever he jumps between characters; his role of Red Guardian in Thunderbolts will no doubt require some over-the-top oafishness, while his reprisal of Jim Hopper in Stranger Things will continue to call for the hardened, grounded grit that first won fans over back in 2016.
Indeed, it’ll be one tough year for the actor, but being able to say that you did Stranger Things and the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the same time would also make for one hell of a story, so we imagine it will be more than worth it.
We’re still waiting on a release date for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, but Thunderbolts is slated to release to cinemas on July 26, 2024. Elsewhere, Harbour’s most recent upcoming project, We Have a Ghost, in which he portrays a mute, friendly apparition named Ernest, will release to Netflix on Feb. 24.