A new theory suggests audiences might have already been introduced to a powerful and terrifying newMCUvillain who could prove crucial to the storyline of 2025’s upcomingThunderbolts*. The first trailers forThunderbolts*seem to suggest that the titular team will form to go toe-to-toe with the United States government and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, but she is not expected to beThunderbolts*‘sole antagonist. In fact, the introduction of anexciting new superhero inThunderbolts*could actually set up one of the MCU’s most formidable and unstoppable villains.
Following Steven Yeun’s exit fromThunderbolts*,Top Gun: Maverickstar Lewis Pullman replaced him, joiningThunderbolts*‘impressive castin January 2024. Although Marvel Studios still hasn’t confirmed his role,Lewis Pullman is heavily speculated to be playing Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry, and the fact his character is currently known simply as “Bob” supports this. TheSentry is one of Marvel’s most powerful characters, harboring the power of a million exploding suns, but he also has a dark side, and a new theory suggests we may have already seen this terrifying persona.
Thunderbolts* May Introduce The Sentry’s Greatest Villain To The MCU
Thunderbolts*’ Sentry Debut Could Also Introduce The Void
Robert Reynolds made his first Marvel Comics appearance in 2000’sThe Sentry #1, where it was revealed that amnesiac Reynolds had actually previously been a formidable superhero known as the Sentry.The Sentry had fought alongside some notable heroes, including Mister Fantastic, Doctor Strange and the Hulk, but everyone had forgotten him, including himself. As he remembered his own life, Reynolds also remembered his archenemy, the Void, who he worried was returning. The truth, however, was considerably darker and more heartbreaking.
Robert Reynolds was revealed to have been a meth addict who broke into a laboratory and consumed the experimental Golden Sentry Serum, which gave him the power of a million exploding suns, allowing him to become one of the world’s first socially-accepted superheroes.
The Sentry and the Void are two halves of the same person, Robert Reynolds. The Void is a dark persona that could only be quelled by erasing the world’s memories of the Sentry, and the entity has the power to destroy the Earth, and perhaps even the entire universe. This means thatLewis Pullman’s debut as the Sentry inThunderbolts*is even more exciting, asMarvel Studios could also use this opportunity to introduce the Void as one of the most haunting antagonists in the MCU’s entire history.
It was later revealed that the Void was a separate dark entity that had been implanted into Robert Reynolds’ mind by the mutant illusionist Mastermind, and was amplified by his powers as the Sentry. The Void took on the form of Reynolds' repressed thoughts and became the embodiment of everything negative about him, while the Sentry was a vision of positivity.The Void’s origins stem all the way back to 1600 BCE during the time of Moses, as the entity was said to be the Angel of Death. The Void’s MCU debut is a thrilling but harrowing prospect.
Alioth Is The Sentry’s Void: MCU Theory Explained
Loki & Deadpool & Wolverine May Have Already Debuted The Void In The MCU
Thefirst trailers forThunderboltshave all but confirmed that Lewis Pullman is indeed playing the Sentry. The Sentry’s logo can be seen at one moment, while Pullman’s “Bob” appears with countless bullet holes in his shirt, suggesting his skin is impenetrable, which hints at an incomprehensible amount of power. While this means that audiences may also see the emergence of the Void inThunderbolts, a new theory posited byReddituser donking6suggests thatthe Void may have already been introduced to the MCU in the form of the smoke monster Alioth.
Alioth has already made several appearances in the MCU, primarily in theLokiseries and in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine, as the entity resides in the Void at the End of Time and consumes everything living that the Time Variance Authority have pruned there over the years. The fact thatAlioth exists in the Voidinstantly reminds us of the Void from Marvel Comics, and would be a clear connection to the villain in the MCU.Donking6’s theory suggests that Alioth may be the actual embodiment of the Void, which could then become the Sentry’s darker half inThunderbolts*.
Alioth in the MCU and the Void in Marvel Comics share certain characteristics, most notably the desire to destroy whatever comes in their path, and their amorphous forms. At some point in the future of the MCU’s main continuity,He Who Remains took control of Alioth and made the entity the guard of the Citadel at the End of Time. This could have easily been a future version of the Sentry’s dark persona itself, meaningThunderbolts*could introduce audiences to a more current version of the Void with the debut ofLewis Pullman’s Sentry.
How The MCU Theory Perfectly Connects Thunderbolts* To The Multiverse Saga
Thunderbolts* Currently Has Few Multiverse Connections
The overarchingnarrative of the Multiverse Sagahas, at times, been hard to follow, as Marvel Studios has been exploring many different avenues in the wake ofAvengers: Endgameand the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. Whileprojects such asLoki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessandThe Marvelsexpanded the multiversal storiesof this era of the MCU, others have been considerably more grounded. This is the categoryThunderbolts*fits into, but Marvel could reveal a direct multiversal connection if this theory turns out to be true.
Thunderboltswill follow on from more grounded projects such asAnt-Man and the Wasp, Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter SoldierandBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever. This suggests it will have little impact on the Multiverse Saga’s overall story, but Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed during 2024’s SDCC presentation that theThunderbolts will be returning to battle multiversal villainsin Phase 6. This meansThunderboltsmust establish some sort of multiversal connection, and making the Sentry’s dark persona Alioth from the Void would be a brilliant way to accomplish this.
Ant-Man and the Wasp(2018)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier(2021)
Olga Kurylenko
Black Widow(2021)
Little is known about Alioth’s history prior toLokiseason 1, episode 5, “Journey Into Mystery,” aside from the entity’s connection to He Who Remains during the Multiversal War.Thunderboltssurprisingly has the perfect opportunity to reveal more about Alioth by tying it to one of the MCU’s most exciting new superheroes, and this would be a fantastic way to connect both the Sentry and the Thunderbolts themselves to the greater Multiverse Saga narrative. By doing this,Thunderboltscould become one of the MCU’s most important recent movies, which was originally unexpected.
Thunderbolts*
Cast
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
