Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541402
62 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2026 THUNDERBOLTS* B Y L A N E F R I E D M A N D E P A R T M E N T H E A D H A I R I N T R O D U C I N G T H E I met Jake Schreier on the set of Lodge 49 in 2017 and was immediately drawn to his directing style and clarity of his vision. When the opportunity came to work with him again on Thunderbolts*, I jumped at the chance and boarded a plane to Atlanta with my two boys (a 1-month-old and 2-year-old) and nanny in tow. From a production standpoint, Jake and I share a belief in practicality and simplicity. Creatively, it was fitting that his first note about the ousted, outlaw heroes of Thunderbolts* was: "no beach waves." In building these characters, the emphasis was always on story, psychology, and lived experience. We wanted these elements to define our visual choices. My first questions when reading any script are: What would these characters choose for themselves? How do we find nuance within that? And how have they been living before the audience meets them? Disclaimer: Spoilers to Come When exploring these different characters who exist on the edge of humanity (raised in laboratories or trained in Russian assassins' school for girls), the truth of who they are often lies in the smallest details. Our focus was on the "doubling," as the film's themes explore the many facets of what makes us human (or nearly human), and the literal confrontation with those selves. This required multiple versions of the same character working within one unit, while a full- time 2nd unit handled the stunt sequences. The story also unfolds in a post-Avengers world, spanning Washington, D.C., Kuala Lumpur, and the jagged peaks of the Utah desert. In Thunderbolts*, the protagonist, Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), grapples with her individual, fractured identity, lack of fulfillment, and grief from the loss of her sister. In the film, Yelena sports a short platinum blonde hair style from root to tip. To maintain continuity, Meghan Heaney worked with Jake, Florence, and her colorist Matt Rez to find a rooted look that could be cheated with temporary color as Florence's natural hair was growing out. The cut ended up being a shattered mullet that felt reflective of a night of impulsive cutting. In the beginning of the film, Yelena is very stripped back, but once she gets a promising work call, Meghan and make-up partner Evelyne Noraz bumped her up to reflect more enthusiasm. With fresh blue eyeliner and her hair styled in a voluminous side part, Yelena attempts to pull herself together. Once the fight begins, her hair style loosens. In the second act, Yelena's hair has fallen into a ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARVEL jagged middle part and remains in this look with some added desert dryness and fray. Maintaining hair integrity was crucial, heat was used only in moderation, and we experimented with different air-dry effects to save time. Some favorites included K18, KMS thermashape, Barb soft clay pomade, r+co Badlands, Davines All-in-One Milk, Tresume extra hold hairspray, inner-sense whipped creme texturizer, Malibu swimmers wellness and some Davines hair masks for at-home maintenance. For reshoots, we had a beautiful Peter custom-made Owen Bristol LTD wig. For the character of Ava, aka "Ghost" (played by Hannah John- Kamen), her anatomy inside of her suit doesn't exist. Her skeletal make-up is the suit itself, holding her together. So, for Ghost, who is Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova David Harbour as Shostakov/ Red Guardian W I T H C O N T R I B U T I O N S B Y A N N A Q U I N N , M E G H A N H E A N E Y , E R I C A A D A M S & C Y N T H I A W E L L E S