Going into 2025, all eyes were on two Marvel Cinematic Universe projects: Captain America: Brave New World and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The former was going to be a huge test because it would be the first movie about the Star-Spangled Man without Chris Evans in the lead role. Meanwhile, First Steps faced considerable pressure because previous attempts to bring Marvel’s First Family to the big screen had not been successful. The movie that flew under the radar until its release date was Thunderbolts*, which brought together a group of mercenaries who all carried at least a couple of suitcases’ worth of baggage with them.
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Against all odds, Thunderbolts* was a critical darling, and most of its success can be attributed to a character new to the franchise, Bob Reynolds, who had a rough life before running around with the titular team. But I believe Bob’s MCU debut did him a disservice by throwing him to the wolves when another potential villain was standing right beside him the entire time.
Sentry’s Arc Could Have Spanned Multiple Movies
Sentry is a complicated figure in Marvel Comics, and the MCU tries to honor that by making Bob the focus of Thunderbolts*. When all of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s hired guns arrive at her base and try to kill each other, they stumble upon a regular-looking man who doesn’t know how he got there. Bob’s presence helps everyone calm down and realize they need to attack the problem as a team. While they bicker constantly, the Thunderbolts eventually escape the bunker, only to find themselves face-to-face with a bunch of goons with guns. All Bob wants to do is help, so he sacrifices his freedom to give his friends an opening. However, Bob reveals that he’s much stronger than anyone could have imagined, being able to deflect bullets and fly.
Valentina takes Bob to New York City and turns him into a hero she calls Sentry. Believing he has finally found his purpose, Sentry knocks around his friends and prepares for his big moment. The power goes to his head, though, and he lashes out at Valentina, who gives the green light to activate his kill switch. That proves to be a mistake, as the attack unleashes Bob’s alter ego, the Void, who begins to cover the city in darkness. A similar thing happens in Marvel Comics when Sentry loses control, but because the MCU rips the band-aid off right away, Bob is aware of his issues and locks them away. Going into his next appearance, Bob is already on the back burner because so much of his ground has already been covered. None of this would be happening if Thunderbolts* had just selected a different villain.
John Walker Is More Villain Than Hero in Thunderbolts*
Outside of Bob, the star of the show in Thunderbolts* is Yelena Belova. She understands the pain Bob is feeling and tries to reason with him. John Walker, the former Captain America, has less patience, constantly ridiculing Bob and acting like he’s better than his teammates. The routine starts to get old, but Walker keeps it up, and it becomes hard to feel bad for him, even though his family walked out on him. All of Walk’s problems are of his own design, which is probably why the movie’s writers considered making him the villain at one point. Valentina would’ve manipulated Walker into believing the effects of his super soldier serum were wearing off and turned him into a monster. Well, I think there was a scenario in which that angle would’ve worked, and all Thunderbolts* had to do was put the lid on Bob for the time being.
When everyone met up at Avengers Tower, Walker could’ve turned on his allies, beating them as badly as Sentry did. Seeing his friends in distress snapped Bob out of it, allowing him to take control of the situation. Thunderbolts* might have even had a window to tease the Void’s arrival without outright showing him. Sure, if the MCU had gone in this direction, Walker wouldn’t be part of the New Avengers. But he probably doesn’t deserve a spot on the team anyway, as he’s not on the same road to redemption as his colleagues.
Thunderbolts* is streaming on Disney+.
Do you think the MCU could’ve waited to reveal the Void? Would you have enjoyed seeing John Walker as the villain in Thunderbolts*? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
