by Shawn Goretsky (7th)
With the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts now playing in theaters, I thought it would be fun to write an article about it. In this preview, I’ll talk about the cast, the characters they’re playing, and some theories about the plot.
What Are the Thunderbolts?
For those who don’t know, the Thunderbolts are a team of anti-heroes—characters who do both good and bad things. In the upcoming movie, the main Thunderbolts team includes:
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Yelena Belova (the new Black Widow)
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Taskmaster
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Bucky Barnes (the Winter Soldier)
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Red Guardian
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Ghost (the villain from Ant-Man and the Wasp)
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John Walker (a.k.a. U.S. Agent)
According to Marvel Studios, the team will have to face the darkest parts of their pasts while going on a dangerous mission. This sets up the movie for some intense moments, and it’s where the fan theories start to come in!
Introducing Sentry
One of the most interesting castings is Lewis Pullman as Robert Reynolds, who is the hero Sentry in the comics. Sentry is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel—he’s so strong that he could easily outclass the entire Thunderbolts team. So, could he be the villain? That seems unlikely since he’s typically a hero in the comics. Instead, it’s more likely that the character The Void—Sentry’s dark alter ego—could appear.
The Void is a dangerous force that emerges when Sentry uses too much of his power, and this could explain some of the strange moments in the movie's trailer. For example, there’s a shadowy figure that looks like Sentry’s actor, and in the trailer, this figure waves his hand and causes people to disappear. This could very well be a hint that The Void is making an appearance. According to some sources close to Marvel, including people who have worked on the movie, The Void will indeed be part of the story.
Challenges for the Thunderbolts
The Thunderbolts are going to face some serious challenges in this movie. Since they’re all anti-heroes with complicated pasts, working together won’t be easy. Plus, if The Void is as powerful as expected, the Thunderbolts will be seriously outmatched. To overcome this, they’ll have to face their personal trauma and bad decisions in order to save the world.
When it comes to defeating The Void, it seems like it might come down to Sentry trying to overpower The Void using his own willpower. Of course, this is all speculation, but given how powerful The Void is, the Thunderbolts will need all the help they can get—including some good old-fashioned plot armor!
Conclusion
This has been my preview of Thunderbolts. If you decide to watch it, I hope you enjoy the action and the twists. Whether or not my theories are correct, it’s sure to be an exciting ride!