Marvel’s Thunderbolts is gearing up for production following the end of the strikes. Earlier, cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus shared that none of the actors have read a script for the movie yet. Nonetheless, speculations are plenty about the storyline and characters of the movie. One particularly interesting rumor surrounding the possible involvement of Marvel’s Superman-like character, The Sentry.
The rumors grew stronger when Steven Yeun was reportedly added to the cast. It is speculated that Yeun will play The Sentry, who will be the main antagonist of the film. Fans familiar with Marvel comics are very much aware of the powers and different avatars of the conflicted character. The question arises as to what Thunderbolts has in store for this interesting character.
The Sentry Might Be An Apt Villain To The Anti-heroes of Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts are a team of antiheroes assembled by the government under Valentina Allegra de Fontaine for rogue missions. The team is pretty much like Marvel’s version of the Suicide Squad. However, their rumored adversary in the film is perhaps one of the most powerful and dangerous characters in Marvel comics – The Sentry. A character as powerful as DC’s Kryptonian, The Sentry treads a fine line between heroism and villainy.
In the early issues of The Sentry comics, The Sentry’s primary antagonist appears to be a supervillain known as The Void. However, it is later revealed that The Sentry and The Void are two alter egos of the same individual, Robert “Bob” Reynolds. An anxious Reynolds consumes an experimental super soldier serum, which not only grants him powers but also corrupts his mental state, creating The Sentry and The Void.
The Sentry constantly tries to suppress The Void within him, however, the malevolent side keeps resurfacing. Finally, realizing that he can never fully rid himself of The Void, The Sentry implores Thor to destroy him. However, later the Apocalypse Twins, Uriel and Eimin, revive The Sentry using the Celestial Death Seed, transforming him into one of their Horsemen of Death.
Should The Sentry prior to Death Seed be adapted as the Thunderbolts villain, some of his comic book superpowers might be taken away to make him a more relatable villain. The Sentry shares many parallels with the anti-heroes on Valentina’s team. For instance, all of them are haunted by their evil past or their dark sides. The film is likely to explore how the Thunderbolts grapple with restraining The Void within him, though they may ultimately fail.
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Will Death Seed Sentry Appear In Thunderbolts?
In the comics, following his revival, The Sentry initially becomes corrupted by the Death Seed but later returns to normal, with the Seed remaining dormant within him. After Kang’s defeat and the death of the Twins, The Sentry joins the superheroes, becoming the cosmic protector of humanity. With the help of Doctor Strange, he manages to control The Void by confining him to a chamber within the Sanctum Sanctorum.
If Death Seed Sentry is adapted into the Marvel film, his corrupted version will most probably serve as the villain. This version of the villain is even more destructive than the original Sentry. In the comics, the corrupted Death Seed Sentry even beats Thor to the pulp. However, there is a possibility that this Sentry will ultimately return to his normal state and perhaps even join the Thunderbolts by the film’s conclusion.
The Death Seed Sentry, free of The Void’s influence, could potentially become the biggest asset for the Avengers in their battle against Kang. Interestingly, Deadline reported that Steven Yeun was cast in “a part that is not only significant to this film but could also play a role going forward in future films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
As it stands, everything remains speculation for Thunderbolts, with the exception of the confirmed return of fan favorites like Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan for the movie. The movie is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.
