I don’t want to jinx this by using Dwayne Johnson’s ill-fated words but, the hierarchy of power in the Marvel Universe is about to change… because Steven Yeun is set to play the omnipotent Sentry in Thunderbolts.
The MCU has already introduced us to some incredibly powerful Marvel characters — from Captain America and Thor, to formidable Marvel villains like Thanos — but the Thunderbolts release date could make them all look rather insignificant.
It’s long been speculated that Steven Yeun’s role in the upcoming Marvel movie would be that of Sentry, and now Robert Kirkman — creator of The Walking Dead and Invincible — has confirmed this. He told comic book artist, David Finch: “My good friend Steven Yeun is playing the Sentry in a movie… Yeah, he called me, he went in for a costume fitting.”
If anyone would know what Steven Yeun is up to, it’s probably Kirkman. Having worked with the actor on The Walking Dead, the two teamed up again for Invincible to create one of the best TV series of recent years. Funnily enough, the characters of Invincible and Sentry do have one thing in common, apart from being very, very strong.
“He called me and he said, ‘I just came back from a costume fitting for the Sentry. I guess I only do superheroes that are yellow and blue,'” Kirkman added. “He said he was at the costume fitting and was like, ‘Aww, crap. I forgot Invincible was yellow and blue.'”
In the comics, Sentry — also known as Robert Reynolds — dons a golden yellow suit with blue cape and trimmings. He’s akin to Superman, in that he can pretty much do anything and everything, though he’s got a far darker side than the Man of Steel. While he’s often been a force for good, and has helped the Avengers time and time again, Sentry has a violent streak which has seen him overstep the line when it comes to the superhero moral code on more than one occasion.
In the comic books, Sentry killed his former sidekick, he joined Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers team, and he destroyed all of Asgard. It’s not his fault entirely, though. You see, Robert Reynolds transformation into Sentry came about because of a dark and evil entity known as the Void, and when the Void latches on to him, he can’t quite control what he does. Because of this, he has harmed many innocents in his time, including his wife, Lindy.
With Sentry seemingly involved with the Thunderbolts — a team of questionable anti-heroes assembled by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to do shady work on the side — it’s highly likely the Sentry we meet in the superhero movie will lean into this mean streak. Either way, if Marvel gets it right, we will be given one of the most unstoppable forces the MCU has ever seen.
Now, I know what you’re thinking… surely Kevin Feige won’t be too pleased if his big secret has been leaked. Well, Kirkman isn’t too fussed. ” I hope I’m not… I don’t think this is a spoiler or anything that will get anybody in trouble. I don’t know, maybe. We’ll see. I don’t care. I don’t work for Marvel. What are they going to do to me?” Kirkman said.
Well, the cat’s out the bag now anyway, so let’s just wait for the official confirmation to roll in and then we can really get excited. Until then, we can look back on all the Marvel movies in order and reminisce about the good old days, or look ahead to Phase 6 and consider where Thunderbolts will fit into the future of Marvel. Or, you could explore the world of the various Marvel series, and if it’s small screen fun you want, you’d better be watching Invincible season 2 episode 4.