Fatherhood has transformed Wyatt Russell – Here’s what he’s learned

Thunderbolts* actor Wyatt Russell is embracing the realities of parenthood and gaining a newfound appreciation for his own parents, Hollywood legends Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

Speaking during a press junket for his upcoming action film Thunderbolts*, Wyatt Russell, 38, opened up about how becoming a father has transformed his perspective on life and family.

Wyatt Russell, who shares two sons with his wife Meredith Hagner, spoke candidly about the emotional shift that comes with fatherhood.

“When you become a parent, you realise what your parents feel about you,” he told PEOPLE.

“All they want is for you to be happy. They want you to live a fulfilled life, and that’s all you care about for your kids. I’m imagining that’s all my parents care about.”

After welcoming his first son, Buddy Prine, in March 2021, Wyatt Russell described fatherhood as “incredible” in an earlier interview, calling it something that “can’t be better”.

He explained, “It’s everything you didn’t know it was going to be… Biologically, I think it does something to your brain where you just erase half your life before you’ve lived there.”

In February 2024, Wyatt Russell and Hagner welcomed their second son, Boone Joseph. The Night Swim actor’s wife announced the happy news on Instagram, sharing a heartfelt photo of their newborn.

“Boone Joseph Russell. Born Feb 13, a week before his due date. 8 pounds 3 oz of heaven. Hearts overflowing.❤️,” she wrote.

As he prepares for the release of Thunderbolts, Wyatt Russell continues to grow not just as an actor, but as a devoted father and son — one who now fully understands the love and hopes his own parents Kurt Russel and Goldie Hawn had for him.

Earlier, With an year still to go before the highly-anticipated release of Avengers: Doomsday, Wyatt Russell shed light on just how extreme Marvel’s secrecy measures have become.

Speaking to ComicBook, Wyatt Russell joked that the media training for Avengers: Doomsday felt like “having a knife held to your neck,” warning the cast not to reveal a single detail.

Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, Wyatt Russell will next be seen reprising his role as John Walker in Thunderbolts, set for a theatrical release on 2 May.

David Harbour, who stars as Red Guardian in Thunderbolts, also shared his experience, admitting that facing press questions about Avengers: Doomsday was “the most terrifying stunt imaginable.”