I’ve Worked Out How Thunderbolts* Can Explain Why Its God-Tier Hero Wasn’t In Avengers: Endgame

Thunderbolts* has a very easy way of explaining why its God-tier hero was not in Avengers: Endgame, and it is rooted in the comics. I’m very excited for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to introduce a new team when 2025’s Thunderbolts* arrives. The MCU has had some issues in recent years due to stories feeling disconnected and characters going missing for large chunks of time. This is why I think the upcoming MCU movie is the perfect solution to those problems, with Thunderbolts*‘s large roster featuring many exciting MCU characters.

I’m curious to see how characters like Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, and Wyatt Russell’s US Agent will interact as part of a new, darker MCU team. While Marvel’s Thunderbolts* movie seems like the ideal opportunity to catch up with many established MCU characters, I’m also extremely interested in the major hero who will make his debut in the franchise in the movie. The character is so powerful that many questions should arise after his introduction, and I’m convinced I know the answer to his Avengers: Endgame absence.

Sentry’s Marvel Comics History Explained

The Superman-Like Hero Has A Dark Past

While it has not yet been officially revealed, Lewis Pullman’s Bob is almost surely Sentry, a major Superman-like Marvel Comics hero with a dark side. A modernized version of Sentry’s belt can be seen in the first Thunderbolts* trailer, with Bob’s hospital scrubs having several bullet holes in them in a shot, teasing Sentry’s MCU debut. In Marvel Comics, Robert Reynolds, aka Sentry, got his powers after taking the Golden Sentry Serum. The formula was an attempt to develop an even better version of the Super Soldier Serum that gave Captain America his powers.

It worked, giving Bob Superman-like powers. As Sentry, he would help Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and more deal with various villains. However, the creation of the hero led to him bonding with a destructive force, the entity known as the Void. I believe the MCU can’t properly adapt Bob’s story without including both sides of the character, and so the Thunderbolts could be in trouble. The Void is a dark entity that killed millions in the comics and is tethered to Sentry’s mind. As such, the MCU could employ the comics’ solution to keep the Void at bay.

I Want To See The MCU Reveal Sentry Was Always There

Marvel Studios Can Repeat An Avengers: Endgame Trick

In order to stop the Void, Sentry teams up with Marvel heroes Reed Richards and Doctor Strange to develop a way for the world — and the trio — to forget who Sentry was. This led to Bob forgetting he had powers, and without turning into Sentry, the Void could not manifest itself. That was only the first time that Sentry and the world’s memories had to be wiped clean to keep the Void under control, and I think that Thunderbolts* could reveal that the MCU has already gone through a similar ordeal.

I’m convinced that Marvel has a golden opportunity on its hands. Thunderbolts* could take a page from Avengers: Endgame to reveal why the all-powerful Sentry did not show up to help the Avengers fight Thanos. Like the Avengers film, Thunderbolts* could feature sequences from multiple MCU movies, revealing that Sentry played a role in many events in the MCU’s timeline, even interacting with fan-favorite characters like Captain America and Iron Man. However, the world forgot who the hero was after the Void got loose, and so Sentry was not active when Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame‘s events played out.

I Think Thunderbolts* Could Be The Closest To The Avengers In The Multiverse Saga So Far

The MCU Movie Answers A Long-Running Avengers Mystery

One of the biggest issues the MCU has faced after the end of the Infinity Saga is the absence of the Avengers. I feel like that has contributed to the complaints regarding how the franchise has seemed directionless for most of the Multiverse Saga. While there are two Avengers movies finally set to arrive in the next couple of years, 2025’s Thunderbolts* will be the first Avengers-like project the MCU has had since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Thunderbolts* has many similarities to the first Avengers film. Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has been assembling the team over multiple MCU projects, similar to the role Nick Fury had in setting up the Avengers. Adding to that, the first Thunderbolts* trailer seemingly confirmed that Valentina bought Avengers Tower. As such, the Thunderbolts might call the Avengers’ former HQ the team’s home, cementing the ties between both franchises. I’m interested to see how a darker team could work in the MCU in contrast to Avengers: Endgame‘s squad, and with a complex character like Sentry in it, Thunderbolts* could surprise many.

All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies