Marvel Studios' decision to reveal the cast forAvengers: Doomsdaywith a three-hour-plus promo video of chairs is easily one of the wildest PR decisions the company has made so far. But, while building up excitement forDoomsday, Marvel just spoiled one of their biggest movies of this year,Thunderbolts*. In the film, the titular team comprised of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) will face off against Lewis Pullman’s Bob, a.k.a. Sentry. But, thanks to the newDoomsdaypromo, we already know how the fight will end.
TheAvengers: Doomsdaycast reveal live-stream dropped some major bombshells about the upcoming film. Alongside the expected stars like Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and Letitia Wright (Black Panther), the stream has also come with some unexpected surprises, likeKelsey Grammar reprising his role as Beast,and the long-awaited return of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi. But, among the endless row of chairs, one has the name Lewis Pullman on it. It was long rumored that Pullman would be playing Sentry inThunderbolts*and would be the film’s primary antagonist, which Marvel then confirmed once the proverbial cat was out of the bag. But, his future in the MCU remained uncertain… until now.
One of the MCU’s Forgotten Villains Will Resurface for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
It has now been confirmed that the ‘Black Panther’ villain and iconic Marvel character will return to the MCU.
Pullman’s casting inAvengers: Doomsdayall but confirms that he will survive the events ofThunderboltsto either help or hinder (or both) the Avengers in theirfight against Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).In Marvel’s defense, Sentry’s casting inAvengers: Doomsdayshouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Fans who have read the comics know how popular and powerful the complex knock-off Superman is. Many comics readers would be upset if Sentry’s MCU tenure was reduced to a single film. Additionally, it was always a tall order for the underpowered Thunderbolts to take on a character as powerful as Sentry and survive, let alone win. But, it appears that a few of them might.
Other ‘Thunderbolts*’ Heroes Will Survive for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
As well as Lewis Pullman’s Sentry, theAvengers: Doomsdaycast announcement video also revealed that several otherThunderboltscharacters will survive their mission in the upcoming film (which releases in theaters on June 11, 2025). Florence Pugh was one of the first names to be revealed in the video. Following the spoiler that Yelena Belova will surviveThunderbolts, Marvel Studios thenconfirmed that Bucky Barnes (Stan)and U.S. Agent (Russell) will also survive. At the time of publication, the live-stream is still ongoing, so there is a chance that even moreThunderbolts*characters will be announced forDoomsday.
Thunderboltsappears to be a step in a new directionfor Marvel Studios, and that direction is making movies that look unique. The film is directed by Jake Schreier, who previously directed Netflix’s hit seriesBeef, as well asPaper TownsandRobot & Frank. The latest trailer forThunderboltsalso included the “A24 vibes” that Florence Pugh previously promised, highlighting the phenomenal behind-the-scenes talent involved with the film.
Thunderbolts*
