Marvel's Thunderbolts Targets Lewis Pullman to Replace Steven Yeun

Marvel Studios is bringing Top Gun: Maverick standout Lewis Pullman into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The upcoming Thunderbolts movie, which is going into production this year, was supposed to include The Walking Dead star and recent Emmy winner Steven Yeun in the pivotal role of Sentry. However, due to the production's strike-related delays, Yeun had to back out. After a search, it appears Pullman is poised to take his spot.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pullman has emerged as Marvel's "top choice" to play the role of Sentry in Thunderbolts. Marvel Studios has yet to confirm the casting, as well as the involvement of Sentry in the film. Online scooper Daniel Richtman was the first to report Pullman's casting.

In addition to playing Lt. Robert "Bob" Floyd in Top Gun: Maverick, Pullman also starred in Bad Times at the El Royale and the recent Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry. He's also the son of Independence Day and Spaceballs star Bill Pullman.

Speaking to Variety earlier this year, Yeun explained his reasoning for dropping out of Thunderbolts, as well as his continued passion to one day be in a Marvel film.

"I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it," Yeun explained. "But [director] Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job."

"I wanna do a Marvel movie," he added. When asked which Marvel movie he might want to be in, the actor responded that "it's too early to say that. I probably pissed off too many people leaving, so I'm just gonna say, 'Thank you for having me.' I have some ideas. But I heard if you put it out there, you'll never get it, so I'll keep it close to my chest."

Thunderbolts is a team-up movie for Marvel, featuring more anti-hero types than a team like the Avengers. Florence Pugh will be reprising her role as Yelena Belova in the new film, and she's joined by fellow MCU stars Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Stan has been a stalwart of the franchise since Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. The rest have joined the franchise in the years following Avengers: Endgame.

Are you looking forward to seeing what Marvel Studios has in store for Thunderbolts? What do you think of Lewis Pullman potentially playing the role of Sentry? Let us know in the comments!