Marvel’s Thunderbolts crossover just got an exciting series of rumors about the film’s villain. Remember that we’re looking at the MCU’s version of the Suicide Squad, a team of misfits and former Avengers antagonists who have to band together to pull off a seemingly impossible task.
The studio already announced the principal Thunderbolts cast but left out plenty of exciting surprises that might prove to be significant spoilers for the plot. But leaks about the potential Thunderbolts villain are slowly piling up, and we think we know who this superpowered person might be.
And now, a new report says that Marvel is looking at having this character star in his own MCU show.
Before we go further, know that massive Thunderbolts spoilers might follow below.
Exciting Thunderbolts rumors
With the Avengers out of the picture, the MCU’s US government might be really desperate for the help of the Thunderbolts. The country would have to face a significant threat to want to appeal to these troubled anti-heroes.
Rumors said a few weeks ago that Sentry will be the bad guy in Thunderbolts. Then, a report earlier this week gave us an exciting origin story for the villain. If the leak is accurate, then Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) will be responsible for the creation of Sentry.
High quality render of the Thunderbolts concept art by Andy Park. Image source: Reddit
We might be looking at a failed super serum project where the US government tries to create a new superhero. But Robert Reynolds, aka Sentry, might have a mind of his own and could turn against Val & Co. after getting his powers.
This would prompt Val to take action against her creation. And that’s what the mission of the Thunderbolts might be. But we’re just speculating here, as the Sentry villain rumor did not offer additional Thunderbolts plot details.
Marvel may be working on a Sentry show
But this is where things get interesting. A different leak dropped from another Marvel Insider. Daniel Richtman claims there’s a Sentry project in development at Marvel.
Sentry doesn’t have to be a big MCU baddie that Marvel will hurry to kill. Sentry will have Superman-like powers, so the ragtag team of Thunderbolts would have a tough time killing him. Even the Avengers might have trouble fighting Sentry.
A Sentry project is reportedly in development at Marvel Studios!The character is rumored to be the villain of the upcoming ‘THUNDERBOLTS’ film. (via: DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/PFQMO6yWnH
— Marvel Focus (@TheMarvelFocus) December 21, 2022
As Murphy Multiverse points out, a standalone Sentry project could entice a big-name actor to take on the role of an evil “Superman”. They’d play the character as the Thunderbolts villain, but Sentry doesn’t necessarily have to be a full-fledged villain in the future. This could make Sentry an exciting proposition.
Remember that Val and President Ross (Harrison Ford) aren’t exactly good guys. They could be MCU villains with ease in future MCU projects. Sentry opposing them in Thunderbolts would turn him into a villain as far as the government’s concerned. But we’re speculating again.
It’s unclear what the Sentry project would be about. It could be anything, given the enormous scope of the MCU.
(L-R): Valentina Allegra DeFontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), Olivia Walker (Gabrielle Byndloss) andJohn Walker (Wyatt Russell) in Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Image source: Marvel Studios
Also, it’s unclear when such a project would launch relative to the Thunderbolts release date and the larger MCU timeline. This villain could always appear in a prequel to Thunderbolts. Or a sequel.
That said, nothing is official at this time. And rumors say that Marvel is reconsidering its MCU strategy to focus on quality over quantity. That’s to say, we might never see a Sentry project come to fruition, no matter how exciting it might be.