Thunderbolts Trailer Confirms a New Marvel Villain Hiding in Plain Sight
The latest trailer for Thunderbolts* finally gives us a glimpse of Marvel's next big bad, the Void.
Robert slowly discovers that the Sentry was a Superman-like figure whose presence changed things for the better for Marvelâs heroes. Presented in an art style that mirrored Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, complete with Stan Lee style captions, the issues showed Sentry helping Peter Parker win a Pulitzer and get respect as a photographer, and helping the Hulk channel his anger and use his strength to help others. When the Marvel Universe forgot the Sentry, the heroes became the tragic figures we know now: the monstrous Thing, the rampaging Hulk, the hard-luck Spider-Man, the feared and hated X-Men.
Why did everyone forget the Sentry? Because the Sentry had an evil second personality, the Void. For everything good that the Sentry accomplishes, the Void does something evil, creating a balance of suffering. So while Marvelâs heroes benefited from the Sentryâs actions, others suffered. Therefore, they and Robert decided to sacrifice their better lives by wiping everyoneâs memories, not unlike what Doctor Strange does with Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Everyone forgets that the Sentry or the Void existed, including Robert, who lives a normal life as Bob.
Thunderbolts* appears to take a slightly different approach to the same material. As seen in earlier trailers, the team finds Bob (Lewis Pullman) in a cage in a warehouse, a scared and confused man who doesnât understand why heâs there. This suggests that instead of putting Robert back out into the world with his mind erased, SHIELD and/or the U.S. Government hid him in a facility. When the Thunderbolts break Bob out, they also inadvertently unleash the Void.
Or is it inadvertent? Is Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) using the Void to manufacture an Avengers level threat for her Thunderbolts to solve, thus positioning them as the new Dark Avengers?
I guess weâll have to wait until Thunderbolts* hits theaters to get all our questions answered.