Who is the villain in Thunderbolts? Marvel trailer confirms deadly new threat

The latest Thunderbolts trailer has arrived, and teases of the latest Marvel super villain has everyone wondering who they’re up against.

The Thunderbolts are the antiheroes of the Marvel universe, with the likes of Yelena, Bucky, and Red Guardian teaming up to work against the latest threat to mankind.

However, you won’t find a Thanos or Galactus running around here. Instead, this crew has to go up against a hero-turned-bad, and it all ties back to one of Marvel’s most interesting (and tormented) characters.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Thunderbolts villain, and what it means for the upcoming Marvel movie.

Thunderbolts villain is actually a hero’s alter ego

The villain in Thunderbolts is Sentry’s evil and destructive alter ego, known as The Void.

Also referred to as “Dark Sentry”, The Void is an entity that attached itself to Robert Reynolds when he became Sentry. The Void is the opposite to his heroic counterpart – deceitful, dark, and dangerous.

It can take any form it wishes, though it mostly communicates and interacts with Sentry via human appearance. Robert is constantly battling The Void, trying to regain power over his own mind and being.

Marvel Comics

Because of its shared host, The Void has the same powers as Sentry, and is capable of destroying Earth. The Void can even come back to life after attempts to kill it, which essentially makes it an immortal being.

It’s an incredibly powerful entity, and even the likes of Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, and Sentry himself have tried to stop it. One method used in the past is erasing Robert (Bob’s) memory in order to cut-off the connection.

The Void can be spotted briefly in the Thunderbolts Super Bowl trailer, in which it appears (in a variation of Sentry) casting a dark shadow over the sky. It even turns scared civilians into shadows.

Who is Sentry?

Sentry (real name Robert “Bob” Reynolds) is a superhero in the Marvel universe who has powers of super strength, flight, and energy manipulation. In Thunderbolts, he is played by Lewis Pullman.

Sentry was created when Bob became infected with Golden Sentry Serum, which is described as having the power of “a million exploding suns.”

Marvel Comics

It gave him his powers and kickstarted his career as a hero, where he often worked alongside his sidekick, Scout, and his dog, Watchdog. (It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Sentry is essentially Marvel’s Superman.)

The Void was also created at the same time Bob became Sentry, as a result of the serum.

This origin ties Sentry (and The Void) to other characters in Thunderbolts. Bucky, John Walker, and Red Guardian all came into contact with some variation of serums, meaning this could hint towards how they approach Sentry’s cunning alter ego.

In all likelihood, the Thunderbolts will need to appeal to Bob’s inner self in order to defeat The Void, but the task may be tricky if his memory has already been severed.

Thunderbolts will be released on May 2, 2025.

Until then, check out all the other new movies out this month. You can also check out our list of the best superhero movies, and find out what we think are the best movies of all time.

Don’t forget to check out our We Love TV & Movies schedule for a whole week of great content!