In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s sixth phase, a movie that should excite every superhero fan on the planet is coming. Thunderbolts will tell the story of the eponymous team of antiheroes who, in the MCU, will include Bucky Barnes, Ghost, U.S. Agent, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster. It’s due to hit theaters worldwide in July of 2025 and will surely be an exciting installment in the most successful blockbuster movie franchise of all time.
The film’s antagonist will be the hugely powerful Sentry, Robert Reynolds. He possesses superhuman strength, speed and durability, flight, molecular manipulation, energy manipulation, telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation – and that’s barely touching the surface of his abilities. The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun was in place to play the character but dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. These are some actors who Marvel Studios should consider to take his place.
6. Alexander Skarsgård
In more ways than one, Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård is the perfect fit for the role of Sentry in the Thunderbolts movie. Not only does he have the look to pull off the character’s appearance – from the impressive chiseled physique to the flowing blonde locks – he’s also proven capable of depicting Sentry’s brutality with his performance as the warrior Amleth in Robert Eggers’ 2022 epic historical action thriller The Northman. His other blockbuster action experience includes 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.
5. Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is a prevalent choice among superhero movie fans to play the role of Sentry – and he’s already pulled off everything required to do so. Not only has he played Superman to critical acclaim in the DC Extended Universe, proving he can convincingly portray a superpowered character (the one who inspired Sentry), but he also briefly showed the Man of Steel’s dark side, which Sentry requires and did so adeptly. Moreover, as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher, he’s admirably pulled off the necessary long blonde hair.
4. Antony Starr
If Marvel Studios want a particularly dark portrayal of Sentry, they need look no further than New Zealand actor Antony Starr. Starr famously plays Homelander – a superpowered character with many abilities similar to Sentry, who, on the face of it, is a handsome blonde superhero but has a terrifying side – in Amazon Prime’s The Boys. Starr has also showcased his ability to play scary characters on the big screen in movies like the 2023 horror Cobweb. His Sentry – and especially his Void – has the potential to be superb.
3. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
One of the most exciting characters in HBO’s brilliant Game of Thrones was Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jaime Lannister. He starts as a villain when he pushes Brandon Stark from a window in the first episode, then has a redemption arc that lasts for eight seasons. The actor brilliantly conveys everything from power and cruelty to compassion and vulnerability, which is required to play Sentry and Void. Coster-Waldau also has the handsome looks of a typical MCU character, meaning he’s the complete package for the role and would pull his performance off impeccably.
2. Alan Ritchson
Alan Ritchson is currently being discussed as a candidate to play Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe, but he’d make a fantastic Sentry. Ritchson has the physique, the blonde hair, and the intensity to play the formidable character, and with experience playing a superhero already – he was Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman in TV’s Smallville and Hank Hall, AKA Hawk in Titans – he’d know what to expect of the role. Notably, he also plays the eponymous Jack Reacher in Amazon Prime’s Reacher and displays several characteristics that would be perfect for Sentry.
1. Andrew Koji
Following Yeun’s departure from Thunderbolts, should Marvel Studios wish to cast another actor of Asian descent in the role of Sentry, they could do much worse than consider Andrew Koji. Having appeared in martial arts television shows like Warrior and action flicks like 2021’s Snake Eyes and 2022’s Bullet Train – the former in which he portrayed the iconic Storm Shadow – he undoubtedly has the action chops to play a superhero. Koji is finding his feet as an A-list star, and Marvel Studios has taken many such actors and propelled them to superstardom. The same could happen with the British-Japanese talent.
Honorable mentions: Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, Charlie Hunnam, Jared Leto, Boyd Holbrook, Ryan Hurst, Alexander Ludwig, Travis Van Winkle.
