David Harbour Will Film Stranger Things & Thunderbolts Simultaneously

David Harbour reveals that he will be shooting the final season of Stranger Things and Marvel’s upcoming film Thunderbolts at the same time. A longtime actor, Harbour broke into international stardom for his portrayal of Jim Hopper in Netflix’s series Stranger Things, which premiered in 2016. Since then, Harbour has been a regular cast member on the show, with Hopper having become more and more integral to Stranger Things‘ story with every season. In 2021, Harbour made his debut into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, when he played the Red Guardian in Black Widow, with plans later revealed for him to return for the Thunderbolts film in development slated for a July 2024 release.

In a recent interview with Collider to discuss his holiday action movie Violent Night, Harbour says that he’ll be filming both Stranger Things and Thunderbolts simultaneously in 2023. He goes on to say that both productions will have to “share” him, and that there will be some sort of schedule between the two to allow Harbour to be fully involved with both projects. Read Harbour’s full comment below:

“It’s going to have to be a back-and-forth with me. They’re going to have to sort of share me. And so it is kind of like, I don’t know exactly how they’re working it, but it’s a week on, week off, two weeks on, two weeks off, something like that where I would go back and forth. They both are being shot in Atlanta. That may have also been structured in a certain way, but yes, it is helpful. So I can just literally shoot a scene in Stranger Things and get in my car and run over to the Marvel scene to shoot a scene there, maybe.”

Related: Stranger Things: Jim Hopper Should Have Stayed Dead

Harbour’s Busy 2023 Will Make For An Exciting 2024

Alongside revealing a very packed work schedule, Harbour also reveals that both Stranger Things and Thunderbolts will be shooting in Atlanta. Since season 1, Stranger Things has been shot throughout Georgia, often moving between Atlanta and Jackson, so season 5 being filmed in the same location isn’t much of a surprise. However, Thunderbolts shooting in Atlanta could offer some insight into the upcoming film, though it’s unknown whether the movie is set in Georgia, or if Atlanta will simply stand in for other locations, as has often been the case for past Marvel productions.

Though Harbour seems optimistic about being able to move between sets with relative ease, he does admit that he’s most concerned about “facial hair conundrums,” as Hopper’s stubble is nothing compared to Red Guardian’s long beard. However, as with his schedule, Harbour says that he’s confident both productions will be able to accommodate his full work load. Though clearly fully-booked as it is, Harbour is also set to star alongside Pedro Pascal on an upcoming HBO miniseries entitled My Dentist’s Murder Trial, which went into early development in July. There is no release date for the series as of yet, but it could add one more project to Harbour’s ever-growing list.

All of Harbour’s hard work will certainly not be in vain, however, as both Stranger Things season 5 and Thunderbolts are massively anticipated projects, and Harbour’s characters in both are beloved by fans. While some are already worrying over Hopper’s potential series-ending fate for the Netflix title, others are eager to see the comedic Red Guardian make his return to the screen, alongside other fan-favorite MCU characters like Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes. Though there is still more than a full year to go before either project will be released, Harbour will be doing double-duty for 2023, so that fans can enjoy Stranger Things season 5 and Marvel’s Thunderbolts in 2024.

Next: Thunderbolts Can Finally Pay Off A Red Guardian Setup From Black WidowSource: Collider