The Super Bowl gave fans another look at Marvel’s upcoming movie Thunderbolts. This new superhero film brings back some of the most well-known villains and anti-heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Some characters have remained in the spotlight, while others have been forgotten over time.
When Marvel announced the list of movies for Phases 4 and 5 at Comic-Con in 2023, Thunderbolts was originally planned to be the final movie of Phase 5. Since there is a long wait between Avengers movies, Thunderbolts was supposed to fill that gap with a team of villains acting in place of the Avengers.
This makes sense because the story of Thunderbolts focuses on Valentina Allegra (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) bringing together former villains for dangerous missions that the Avengers would normally handle. Since the Avengers are no longer active, she forms a new team.
The MCU has changed a lot in the past few years, and Thunderbolts is now positioned in the middle of Phase 5 instead of at the end. Now, Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will finish the multiverse saga. Even though the movie’s placement has changed, the team in Thunderbolts will still face a major threat.
The villain has now been revealed as The Void, which means the movie will have high stakes and serious consequences for the MCU.
Also Read: Thunderbolts: Marvel’s Boldest Antihero Team-Up That Could Change the MCU Forever
The Sentry and The Void Are Connected
To understand The Void, it is important to know about another character in Thunderbolts, Bob (played by Lewis Pullman). Bob has been seen in several trailers, but his abilities have not yet been shown.
Bob Reynolds, also known as The Sentry, is one of the strongest superheroes in Marvel’s history. His power is comparable to Superman’s, and he has abilities like telepathy and the ability to change matter.
Bob was the first person to receive a stronger version of the super-soldier serum, which was previously used on Captain America (played by Chris Evans), Bucky Barnes (played by Sebastian Stan), and Red Guardian (played by David Harbour). This experiment gave him abilities that no other super-soldier had ever gained.
Unlike the other members of the Thunderbolts, Bob is actually a hero, which seems unusual since the team mostly consists of villains. However, like most superheroes in Marvel, Bob’s powers come with a serious problem.
The Void Is One of the Most Dangerous Villains
When Bob Reynolds first got his powers, a dark force bonded with him. This force is called The Void. The Void is like The Sentry’s evil side. Many heroes have secret identities, but Bob has three separate personalities, similar to Moon Knight (played by Oscar Isaac).
In the comics, The Void has existed for a very long time and was once called God’s Angel of Death. The Void has many destructive abilities, including immortality, the power to bring back the dead, energy manipulation, super strength, and telekinesis.
The movie’s trailer shows him turning people into shadows just by waving his hand. In the comics, he has also created armies made of shadows.
Bob constantly struggles to keep The Void under control, making his life extremely difficult. Even though Bob is one of Marvel’s greatest assets in battle, The Void is one of its biggest dangers.
The Void Has Already Caused Great Destruction
The Void has been responsible for some of the worst disasters in Marvel’s history. He nearly destroyed all of New York and even reduced Asgard to ruins. Because of his destructive power, Bob once tried to end his own life by flying into the sun, but even that could not destroy him.
The Void’s strength makes him one of the most powerful beings in the MCU. He can compete with heroes and villains like Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson), Thanos (played by Josh Brolin), and the Celestials. Many people are wondering how the Thunderbolts will even have a chance against him.
The team in Thunderbolts is made up mostly of characters connected to Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) and Captain America. Some characters, like Bucky Barnes and John Walker (played by Wyatt Russell), are only a little stronger than normal humans.
Others, like Taskmaster, Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), and Ghost, are skilled fighters but do not have superpowers.
The current lineup does not stand a chance against The Void in a direct fight. However, if we look at the comics, there may be a way to stop him without relying on brute force.
The Thunderbolts Must Find Another Way to Win
Defeating The Void in battle is almost impossible, but there is a weakness in his connection to Bob’s powers as The Sentry. If Bob forgets that he has powers, The Void becomes inactive.
In the comics, Reed Richards (also known as Mr. Fantastic) and Doctor Strange used a method to make the entire world forget that The Sentry existed, including Bob himself. This plan worked, and The Void disappeared.
The MCU has already used a similar idea before. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange erased everyone’s memory of Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland).
Doctor Strange has also defeated The Void using magic before. He even managed to separate Bob from The Void at one point. However, Thunderbolts probably will not include Doctor Strange since he disappeared into another dimension at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Also, Reed Richards currently exists in a different universe.
Yelena May Be the Key to Defeating The Void
There is one character in Thunderbolts who has defeated The Void before in the comics—Yelena Belova. In a storyline from New Avengers, Yelena absorbed The Sentry’s powers along with The Void.
The overwhelming power was too much for her, and HYDRA later activated a self-destruct device in her head, similar to what happened in The Suicide Squad.
The movie might not follow the comics exactly, but Yelena could still play a major role in stopping The Void. She might even have to sacrifice herself to destroy him. Since the Thunderbolts are not the same as the Avengers, they might not all survive the movie.
The Sentry and The Void Add a Deeper Story to the MCU
No matter how the Thunderbolts manage to stop The Void, The Sentry is one of Marvel’s most interesting and complicated superheroes.
Many recent stories have focused on dark versions of Superman, like in The Boys and Invincible. The Sentry and The Void provide a more detailed and thoughtful version of this idea. The struggle between Bob Reynolds and The Void represents the battle between good and evil that exists in everyone.
Whether Bob survives and continues to be part of the MCU in future movies is still unknown. However, fans will learn more when Thunderbolts premieres on May 2nd.
Also Read: Marvel’s Highly Anticipated ‘Thunderbolts’ Movie Set for Release in 2025 and Its Impact on the MCU
