The Main Villain of Thunderbolts* The Void: Who is He?

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* has dropped a new trailer, after being introduced in the first trailer for the upcoming team-up film, it looks like Lewis Pullman’s character “Bob” is actually going to be the MCU’s Robert Reynolds, also known as The Sentry.

In the original comics, The Sentry was one of the strongest and most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, but he had a dark side, which seems like it will play a part in Thunderbolts.

In the new Thunderbolts* trailer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Val confirms that “The Avengers are not coming.” It looks like she and Bucky Barnes will be putting together a new team of operatives, which includes Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, Ghost, U.S.Agent, and a new character named Bob.

While it was speculated in the first promo, this latest trailer has me convinced that Bob is indeed The Sentry, and that this major Marvel hero will turn into the film’s main villain.

Trailer May Have Showed the Villain

Even though Lewis Pullman’s character Bob stays in the background during the new trailer, he seems to be the shadowed figure in a full suit and cape. This fits the theory that Bob is Robert Reynolds, also known as The Sentry, a hero in the comics who usually wears a yellow suit and blue cape. However, in this trailer for the upcoming MCU film, he’s definitely not shown as a hero.

A large darkness seems to be taking over New York City in the new Thunderbolts* trailer, and it appears to be coming from The Sentry himself. The trailer shows civilians running for their lives, only to be erased by The Sentry.

These people become nothing but shadows as the darkness spreads, covering more of the city. This seems to be the main threat in the upcoming team-up movie and is tied to the darker side of Sentry’s massive power.

Who is Void in the Comics?

The Sentry #1, introduced in the 2000s, features Robert “Bob” Reynolds, a middle-aged and overweight man who eventually recovers his lost memories. In simple terms, Reynolds is Marvel’s version of Superman, possessing “the power of a million exploding suns” after taking a version of the Super Soldier serum.

This origin story could easily be linked to the government facility shown often in Thunderbolts* trailers. While Bob’s Sentry side is the heroic one, he also struggles with some dark issues, with his villainous side known as the Void.

To protect others from the Void, Bob erased himself from the memories of nearly everyone, including people he helped, like Mister Fantastic, X-Men’s Angel, and the Hulk.

Later, Doctor Strange became involved in another incident where Sentry had to be removed from everyone’s memories. But since Spider-Man: No Way Home used a similar memory-erasing spell, Thunderbolts will likely take a different approach.

The Void is more of an idea or force than a physical being, able to take different forms but often showing up as a humanoid figure when it taunts Sentry. It appears whenever Bob uses his Sentry powers, so it’s expected to be a regular presence in Thunderbolts.

The movie might show Sentry for most of the time, with Bob turning into the Void later. A brief glimpse of the Void’s power is shown in the Thunderbolts Super Bowl trailer, with a dark cloud above New York, which may represent the Void’s power to bring Bob’s worst fears and repressed memories to life. If this is the case, Bob could remain the heroic Sentry until this turning point in the film.

For the Thunderbolts, Val, and the people of New York, the Void is a major threat, as it has all of Sentry’s powers and even more. The Void’s darker side can take over others, use tendrils to inflict trauma, and even trapped the Avengers with molecular powers in a cloud of darkness.

Throwing it into the Sun has only worked temporarily, so it’s hard to imagine how a team like the Thunderbolts can handle it. Some believe the Void emerged from Bob’s darker side after he became a drug addict and broke into a lab to take the Golden Sentry Serum, with Sentry being a result of his attempt to deal with his guilt.

Is Void the Main Villain of the Thunderbolts?

The exact reason behind what brings the Thunderbolts together is still unclear, but it seems like it will happen in the unusual facility where they first meet Bob.

This location might be part of a plan by someone like Valentina to eliminate these rogue agents, and the movie doesn’t seem to be hiding the fact that Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster could be killed off here.

The trailer also shows the team initially at odds with Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, suggesting they’ll have to unite against a common enemy like Sentry/the Void.

Later scenes seem to show the Thunderbolts (without Taskmaster) confronting Valentina at the old Avengers Tower, confirming that she now owns it. Since Bob’s Void powers are shown near the former Avengers headquarters, it appears the final fight will happen against the Void.

The introduction of Sentry was always meant to be a big moment, and there was a lot of excitement when it was rumored that Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead would play the role, but he had to leave due to scheduling problems.

Thunderbolts is the last main MCU movie before heading into the alternate reality of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with both movies setting up Avengers: Doomsday. It’s also the final movie of Phase 5, and some people are calling it a non-Avengers Avengers movie.

Even though Sentry is not usually linked with Secret Wars, since some of the Thunderbolts have been confirmed as part of the expanding Doomsday cast, he could appear in the next two Avengers films.

However, there are concerns that one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful characters might be killed off before the credits of Thunderbolts roll.

It’s also possible that the famous Marvel Comics scene, where Sentry’s watchtower appears on top of Stark Tower, will be adapted into live-action. This could explain why the events seem to take place at Val’s new home. The issue is, none of the Thunderbolts seem to have powers strong enough to defeat the Void, meaning they’ll need to use strategy to stop him.

Most likely, the movie will include an emotional message about how this group of fallen villains can come together to redeem themselves and save the day, much like Marvel’s version of The Breakfast Club.

Fans can expect Sentry to live up to his title as the Golden Guardian of Good, but the Thunderbolts and the Avengers should be afraid of the danger the Void poses.