Marvel's Sentry Revealed as Lewis Pullman in Thunderbolts

Marvel's upcoming film Thunderbolts* remains largely enigmatic, but a new trailer released during the Big Game offers a fresh glimpse. While it doesn't reveal much about the plot of this MCU team-up, we get a clearer look at Lewis Pullman as Bob, also known as The Sentry. This Superman-like hero is finally arriving in the MCU, and that should make the entire world very, very nervous.

Who is The Sentry, and why is he simultaneously the Marvel Universe's greatest champion and its most terrifying threat? Let's explore the history of this psychologically fragile hero and his potential role in Thunderbolts*. Here are the topics we cover:

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Who Is Lewis Pullman’s Thunderbolts* Character The Sentry?

The Sentry is arguably the most powerful superhero in the Marvel Universe. He is also the most dangerous.

Originally an ordinary man named Bob Reynolds, he consumed a serum that granted him "the power of a million exploding suns." This immense power, however, comes with a terrible price. A dark aspect of his personality known as The Void exists. For every good deed The Sentry performs, The Void commits an act of evil. Bob Reynolds fights a constant, losing battle against his inner darkness to maintain his sanity. Yet, when a crisis demands an overwhelmingly powerful hero, no one is more capable than The Sentry.

The Sentry is arguably the most powerful superhero in the Marvel Universe. He is also the most dangerous.

The Sentry’s Powers and Abilities

The Sentry's powers originate from an experimental serum, one of many formulas developed after World War II as potential replacements for the Super Soldier Serum. This serum is said to accelerate his molecules an instant forward in time. In practical terms, this makes The Sentry an immensely powerful hero with a nearly limitless array of abilities.

As The Sentry, Bob possesses strength that rivals heroes like the Hulk and Thor. He can fly at incredible speeds, has enhanced senses, and is virtually invulnerable. He can also absorb and project energy, enabling him to fire energy blasts, teleport, and even pacify a rampaging Hulk. Power-wise, The Sentry is truly Marvel's equivalent of Superman.

As The Void, Bob becomes arguably even more powerful and dangerous. The Void is a shape-shifting, demonic entity capable of controlling weather and infesting the minds of others. It has withstood the combined might of the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, and even being thrown into the sun proved to be only a temporary solution.

The Sentry’s Secret Origin

The Sentry was created by Paul Jenkins, Rick Veitch, and Jae Lee, making his debut in the original The Sentry miniseries in 2000. This series introduced the character as a forgotten hero from the Marvel Universe's past. Even Bob Reynolds—a middle-aged, overweight married man—had no memory of his former life as the hero nicknamed "The Golden Guardian of Good."

When Bob regains his memories and becomes The Sentry again, he discovers his nemesis, The Void, has also returned. The series establishes The Sentry's history with characters like the Hulk and the Fantastic Four, retroactively inserting him into Marvel's continuity.

Ultimately, readers learn that The Sentry and The Void are two sides of the same person. The world was made to forget The Sentry to protect it from The Void's fury. Bob realizes he must repeat this act to keep his dark side contained. He once again erases the world's collective memory of The Sentry, though the series leaves it ambiguous whether Bob himself truly forgets his superhuman identities.

The Sentry As an Avenger

The original Sentry miniseries was self-contained, but the character later became a recurring figure in the Marvel Universe. The Sentry officially joined Earth's Mightiest Heroes in 2004's New Avengers, becoming part of a dramatically revamped team alongside Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Luke Cage.

New Avengers reintroduced The Sentry as a self-imposed prisoner in The Raft. He intervenes to stop a massive supervillain jailbreak and reluctantly joins the new Avengers team. Though a powerful asset, The Sentry constantly struggles to preserve his sanity and keep The Void at bay.

When the superhero community is torn apart by the events of 2006's Civil War, The Sentry sides with Iron Man's pro-registration faction, understanding the dangers of unchecked power. He also plays a vital role in protecting the world during 2007's World War Hulk.

However, The Sentry's downfall begins in Marvel's 2009 storyline, Dark Reign. As Norman Osborn takes control of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s replacement, H.A.M.M.E.R., he recruits Bob Reynolds for his "Dark Avengers." The Sentry is manipulated into serving alongside villains like Bullseye, Venom, and Ares. Osborn bets that his own experience controlling his Green Goblin persona will help him manage The Sentry, a gamble that ultimately fails.

The Void is fully unleashed in 2010's Siege, where Osborn leads an assault on Asgard. The recently returned Steve Rogers rallies the true Avengers to save the day, but at the cost of The Sentry's life.

In subsequent years, The Sentry has been resurrected and killed again, while new stories continue to explore the true nature of his powers and whether The Sentry or The Void is the "real" entity. The Sentry was killed once more in 2020’s King in Black. Marvel's 2023 The Sentry series examines what happens when his power seeks a new host. Who will become the new Sentry, and will they also bear the burden of The Void? Only time will tell.

How The Sentry Fits Into the Thunderbolts* Movie

To date, The Sentry has had limited exposure outside Marvel comics, appearing only in mobile games like Marvel Puzzle Quest, Marvel Future Fight, and Marvel Snap. This will change soon, as Lewis Pullman has been cast as the Golden Guardian of Good in the MCU.

The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun was originally cast as Sentry, but the role became available after Yeun had to leave the Thunderbolts lineup due to scheduling conflicts arising from the film's delay from the 2024 release calendar following major industry strikes, leaving Deadpool & Wolverine as the sole MCU movie released in 2024.

Pullman won't be starring in a dedicated Sentry project (at least, not yet). Instead, he will debut in the 2025 film Thunderbolts*, appearing alongside familiar MCU faces like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, and David Harbour’s Red Guardian.

At this early stage, The Sentry's exact role in Thunderbolts* is unclear. However, given his comic history, the film will likely emphasize his dual status as a mighty hero and a terrifying villain. Will The Sentry start as a Thunderbolts member, only to become the team's worst nightmare when he loses control? Given the team's relative lack of superpowers, battling The Sentry would be a monumental challenge for the Thunderbolts.

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We might see Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine play a role similar to Norman Osborn's in the Dark Avengers comics. The Contessa may view Bob Reynolds as a powerful asset to be exploited, only to lose control over this dangerously unstable hero. If Thunderbolts* is essentially Marvel's version of Suicide Squad, then The Sentry could be the film's equivalent of Enchantress.

It's also unknown if the MCU will explore the idea of The Sentry as a forgotten hero with deep ties to the superhero community. Will he be retroactively established as a previously active character in the MCU? And how much will the movie lean into The Sentry as a twisted analogue of DC's Superman? We will learn more as we approach the May 2025 release of Thunderbolts*.

For more on the future of the MCU, check out our full breakdown of the ending to Deadpool & Wolverine and see all the Marvel movies and shows in development.

Note: this article was originally published on November 17, 2023 and updated on September 23, 2024 with the latest information about Thunderbolts*.