A new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts doesn’t explain the mysterious asterisk in the title — possibly hinting at a Dark Avengers reveal — but it does introduce an unexpected team member: Bob.
So, who’s Bob? Dressed in hospital scrubs, he stands out among the group of trained assassins, super soldier rejects, and science experiments gone wrong, all equipped with advanced tech. By the rules of a good Dirty Dozen-style story, this makes Bob the most dangerous one of them all.
A quick shot of a belt buckle in the trailer, along with a July confirmation from Deadline, identifies Bob as none other than the Sentry, played by Lewis Pullman (Outer Range, Top Gun: Maverick). There’s only one Marvel superhero who wears a large “S” on his belt, goes by “Bob,” and would look perfectly normal in institutional attire: Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry.
The Sentry, created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee in the 2000 Sentry miniseries under Marvel’s mature Marvel Knights imprint, wields immense, Superman-like powers. After encountering a super soldier serum variant, Reynolds gained abilities such as super strength, speed, flight, invulnerability, enhanced senses, solar energy absorption, molecular manipulation, and even mind control. His heroics began even before the rise of the Fantastic Four, and he quickly formed alliances with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and other Marvel heroes.
But things took a dark turn when Reynolds discovered his link to the Void, an equally powerful and malevolent entity. The only way to keep the Void in check was to abandon his powers and make everyone forget the Sentry ever existed.
That was the story until 2004’s New Avengers, penned by Brian Michael Bendis. Here, it was revealed that supervillains had tampered with Reynolds’ mind, causing him to believe he had to give up his powers. His psychic strength made this lie a reality. Since then, comics have explored various versions of the Sentry-Void relationship, tweaking and retconning the character’s history.
Did the Sentry erase himself from memory to neutralize the Void and live as a normal man? Is the Void a separate entity or an alternate personality born from Reynolds’ psyche? Or is it a manifestation of his fear of misusing his powers, created by his own subconscious strength? Alternatively, was this fear implanted by a villain to destroy Reynolds and erase all memories of him?
Thunderbolts can pick from any of these explanations, or even create its own version of the Sentry-Void dynamic. The core theme remains the same: the Sentry is a supremely powerful superhero whose existence draws an equally dangerous force known as the Void, which may or may not be a product of his fragile mind.
Could the Void end up being the Thunderbolts’ ultimate villain? Hopefully not, as it would mirror the plot of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which revolved around the Enchantress and her inner evil entity.
Regardless, we’ll find out on May 2, 2025, when Thunderbolts (or whatever it ends up being titled) hits theaters.