The Complicated History of ‘Thunderbolts’ Sentry in Marvel Comics

The appearance of the cast of Thunderbolts* at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H – plus the trailer shown in D23 – brought confirmation regarding one of its mystery characters. Lewis Pullman, who replaced Steven Yeun’s role after his departure, is now confirmed to be playing Bob. Bob is none other than Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. Sentry, a Marvel Comics superhero that was introduced in the year 2000 in his own Marvel Knights series.

You wouldn’t be mistaken if you relate his unlimited power and heroic appearance with DC Comics’ own Superman. But Sentry is a much more complex figure, that deviates wildly from the poster boy for heroics and justice. He’s a double-sided weapon that can prove to be either the greatest ally or the deadliest foe. Since his introduction, Sentry has shifted the Marvel universe, while also playing a key part in many of the publishers’ greatest events of the last two decades. This makes his upcoming MCU introduction all the more intriguing.

Sentry Has Been Around for Years on Earth-616

Sentry is an imperfect and reluctant super-powered being. Struggling with addiction, he gained his powers by accident, mistaking a replica of the Super Soldier serum for drugs. The serum gave him “the power of a thousand exploding suns.” Though, Sentry has been officially in print for 24 years, creator Paul Jenkins’ first run with the character places him on Earth-616 way back when the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and Spider-Man made their debut.

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Sentry was a close friend of Reed Richards. He once taught X-Men’s Angel how to fly without fear and was the main subject of one of Peter Parker’s prize-winning photographs. He was also able to befriend the savage Hulk and set him on the right path. But there’s a darkness surrounding the reason why no one remembers Sentry. For years, he fought his archenemy – The Void – a ruthless shadowy being who was responsible for the deaths of a million New Yorkers. It was later revealed that The Void was none other than a repressed aspect of Robert’s self. To prevent this from happening again, Sentry worked with Dr. Strange and Reed to erase his memory from all of Earth’s population. This perhaps makes Sentry one of the most notable retcons in Marvel Comics’ history.

Sentry Has Been a Key Player in Many of Marvel Comics’ Main Crossovers

Some years after his introduction, Brian Michael Bendis incorporated Sentry’s storyline into his New Avengers run, and that’s how he finally got a top spot in the mainstream continuity. After a voluntary imprisonment in the Raft, his memory is restored with the help of Emma Frost, and he’s invited to join the New Avengers – both for them to have a heavy-hitter and as a way to keep an eye on him. Whereas Sentry found vindication and recognition — including a gigantic watchtower sat atop Stark Tower in the heart of Manhattan, his frail mental health continued eating away on his sanity.

Sentry’s tragic story is only heightened when he’s used by both heroes and villains as a chess piece to sway battles in their favor. As a result of this, he’s been a crucial part in most of Marvel Comics’ recent crossover events. During Civil War, he’s convinced by Iron Man to become pro-registration, earning him a place in Tony’s new team of Mighty Avengers. In World War Hulk, he acts as Earth’s last line of defense, being the only one strong enough to stand up to the Hulk — with the war ending in them fizzling into their Robert Reynolds and Bruce Banner personas. During the Dark Reign storyline, Norman Osborn bonds with him due to their shared duality, and recruits him as part of the Dark Avengers. Soon after, he utilizes him to put an end to Asgard in Siege.

More recently, Sentry has gone through a streak of deaths, rebirths, and transformations. Through them, he’s become a horseman of Apocalypse, he’s created a world of his own inside himself, and he’s even merged with the Silver Surfer. Given the Thunderbolts*’ shady nature, plus the fact that Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ unscrupulous Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is involved with the team, it seems likely Pullman’s Bob will face a similar fate as in the comics. Whether Sentry will be this crucial to the MCU remains to be seen, but the opportunity to make him an essential part of the future storylines of the franchise is there to be taken.

Thunderbolts* is currently slated to arrive in theaters on May 2, 2025.