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Hulk Fans Will LOSE IT Over This Thunderbolts* Twist!

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Attention! This article may reveal significant plot points about Thunderbolts. Despite Hulk taking a back seat in the Marvel Cinema Universe, Thunderbolts demonstrates there’s still room to give the Green Goliath the proper treatment he deserves. Adapting Sentry is challenging, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe manages it effectively through Lewis Pullman’s portrayal of Robert Reynolds and his Void persona. The ending of Thunderbolts offers a moving resolution to the titular anti-heroes’ conflict with Sentry and the Void, and the post-credits scene in Thunderbolts confirms that Bob is safe fourteen months following his first film’s events.

The specific part Bob will play in “Avengers: Doomsday” remains unclear, but it appears that he won’t be able to employ his Sentry powers against Doctor Doom because it could potentially reawaken the Void and exacerbate issues for his teammates. Nevertheless, it’s expected that Sentry will make a comeback, and his Void persona is likely to resurface with him, either in a spiritual follow-up to “Thunderbolts” featuring the New Avengers or in another Marvel Cinematic Universe production. However, even without an immediate sequel, “Thunderbolts” offers Sentry an excellent live-action portrayal.

*Note: Thunderbolts is not a confirmed title for any upcoming MCU project, but it has been used in the past and may be a reference to a potential future film or TV series.

Sentry’s Story In Thunderbolts* Is What Bruce Banner And Hulk Have Deserved Since Their MCU Debut

Sentry Got in One Movie What Hulk Hasn’t in Seven MCU Appearances

In Thunderbolts, we meet Lewis Pullman’s character, Robert Reynolds, who initially appears as an ordinary human with no extraordinary powers. However, it’s later unveiled that this seemingly timid test subject is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful characters. When Val declares him as Sentry, Bob unlocks his superhuman abilities and assumes his heroic persona. Yet, Sentry’s immense power has a condition: it is intrinsically tied to the Void, a representation of Bob’s childhood trauma and mental health issues. This connection between Robert Reynolds and the Void bears striking resemblance to Bruce Banner and the Hulk.

The struggle within Bruce Banner, as the Hulk, was primarily delved into in the movie “The Incredible Hulk“, though the main focus of this Phase 1 film was on external adversaries such as Thaddeus Ross and the Abomination. The most profound examination of Hulk’s internal turmoil occurred in a deleted scene from “The Incredible Hulk” where Hulk expels a bullet, a moment hinted at in “The Avengers“. Since then, the Hulk has often taken a backseat as an Avenger. The resolution of Bruce Banner’s relationship with his alter ego happened off-screen between “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame“, with minimal detail or emotional impact provided.

Remarkably, the film Thunderbolts* manages to encapsulate Bruce Banner’s and Hulk’s dichotomy beautifully, with Robert Reynolds (the Sentry) serving as a vessel within this narrative, even though he isn’t the main character. Surprisingly, despite not being the movie’s central theme, Bob’s journey in Thunderbolts* delves into the complex relationship between the Sentry and the Void, offering a poignant allegory for mental health struggles and showcasing immense power. It also underscores that Bob and the Void are separate entities with contrasting objectives, both striving for dominance over the same body. To date, Bruce Banner and Hulk have featured in seven MCU productions (excluding brief appearances), but their narrative has yet to receive the same degree of depth as Bob and the Void’s story.

Thunderbolts* Proves The Avengers Can Make Hulk The Protagonist In A Team-Up Movie

Hulk Doesn’t Need Another Solo Movie To Get The Arc He Deserves

Regrettably, the shared ownership between Marvel Studios and Universal over Hulk’s film rights has hindered a standalone Hulk movie since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Consequently, my character arc in the MCU has predominantly unfolded through guest appearances in collaborative films such as Thor: Ragnarok and the Avengers series. While this ensemble approach has enabled some growth for Bruce Banner and the Hulk, it has been unable to offer dedicated sequels, thereby limiting their development compared to other Marvel characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye who have all enjoyed more intricate and fully fleshed-out storylines.

As a film enthusiast, I’ve always been intrigued by the journey of the Hulk within the MCU. Despite the absence of solo sequels, it’s clear that Marvel Studios has possessed the necessary tools to craft his story effectively without another standalone movie. The upcoming “Thunderbolts” provides a perfect platform for exploring Bob and the Void’s intricate relationship, offering them ample screen time and plot significance within a dynamic team-up of six primary heroes and a secondary antagonist.

Bob’s internal turmoil is evident, the Void’s power resonates strongly, and their interplay is more nuanced than that between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Strikingly, neither Sentry nor the Void engage in conventional battle scenes in “Thunderbolts.” Instead, their conflict unfolds in a way that showcases the depth of their characters and the power of team dynamics.

Thunderbolts*’ Success Might Encourage Marvel To Give Hulk A Sentry Treatment

Mark Ruffalo Can Still Star In The Ultimate MCU Hulk Movie

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I’ve longed for the Hulk’s live-action portrayals to truly embody the character as masterfully done in films like Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and its sequel, James Mangold’s Logan, Michael Waldron’s Loki, and Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange. While team-up movies such as Thunderbolts and Avengers: Infinity War have shown that crossover films can offer compelling character arcs for villains without requiring a solo movie, I believe it’s high time the Hulk gets his ultimate big-screen treatment—perhaps by taking on a pivotal antagonist role in an upcoming team-up film.

The success of “Thunderbolts” among both audiences and critics encourages Marvel to take creative risks similar to this, and the positive response to Sentry indicates that a character like the Hulk could prosper with more dedicated screen time, even without his own movie. Instead of seeing Hulk’s absence of solo titles as a drawback, it could be an opening for Marvel Studios to delve into an “Avengers” film concept where Bruce Banner, struggling to manage the Hulk, transforms into the main antagonist. The heroes would then have to find a way to stop him without annihilating either persona, leveraging the momentum of “Thunderbolts.

The MCU’s Void Adaptation Shows Which Comic Book Storyline Could Be The Best To Do The Hulk Justice

Hulk’s Next Big MCU Movie Role Could Borrow From Sentry’s MCU Adaptation

In a fresh interpretation, Thunderbolts* revamps the Void as a symbol of Robert Reynolds’ psychological turmoil instead of an age-old evil. Unlike traditional attacks, this version of the Void captures victims in simulations of their most profound traumas. Similarly, in a potential future crossover, the MCU might delve into Hulk’s mystical lore by investigating the Below-Place, the Green Door, and the unique aspects of Bruce Banner’s diverse Hulks – elements that were initially presented in Marvel Comics’ Immortal Hulk series.

Despite Mark Ruffalo not initially being included in the cast for “Avengers: Doomsday”, it is expected that Smart Hulk will feature in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”. Following “Avengers: Secret Wars”, Marvel Cinematic Universe mainstays like Thor, Doctor Strange, and Hulk may be nearing their retirement, with their closing chapters carrying significant weight. A cross-over inspired by “Immortal Hulk” could provide Hulk with a fitting farewell, exploring the complex relationship between Banner and Hulk as they confront their shared past traumas and their gamma-born duality. In much the same way that Bob and the Void in “Thunderbolts*” bring their story to an end, Bruce Banner and Hulk’s MCU journey might conclude not with death or scientific resolutions, but with a heartfelt reconciliation earned through struggle.

*Note: Thunderbolts is a Marvel Comics team that includes characters with morally ambiguous or complex backgrounds. The Void is one of its members.

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2025-05-20 17:02

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