The Bruce Banner story that Marvel has forgotten could finally be delivered by the Hulk’s true MCU replacement in an unexpected film:Thunderbolts*. As one of threeupcoming Marvel moviesin 2025,Thunderbolts*is highly anticipated. WhileThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsis bringing back Marvel’s beloved first family andCaptain America: Brave New Worldis giving Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson his first proper outing as the titular character, thestory ofThunderbolts*is perhaps the more intriguing of the three.
The reason for this stems not only fromThunderboltscast of charactersand how they will interact as a new MCU team but also from the more mysterious elements of the film’s set-up. Firstly, there is the ever-puzzling Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and what she truly wants in the MCU. Secondly, there is the intriguing inclusion of Bob in the2025 Marvel movie. Interestingly, the deeper elements of Bob’s character that have not been unveiled in the marketing forThunderboltscould lead to a true Bruce Banner story and the MCU’s main Hulk replacement.
Sentry Is Coming To The MCU In 2025
Bob Has A Bigger MCU Role Than Many Think Possible
The reason that Bob could be classed as the MCU’s Hulk replacement is his true status asMarvel’s Sentry. Bob will likely be short for Robert Reynolds inThunderbolts*, whose superhero identity is Sentry. Sentry is a massively powerful character from Marvel Comics and, as such, is essentially the brand’s version of DC Comics' Superman.
This will giveThunderboltsa much-needed dose of raw superheroic strength, given the titular team is made up primarily of assassins and a few super-soldiers. How exactly Sentry will tie intoThunderboltsstory remains to be seen, especially with the film’s trailers set on keeping Bob’s true identity a secret. That said, prior knowledge from Marvel Comics provides somewhat of a roadmap for the character inThunderbolts*, bringing the aforementioned Bruce Banner/Hulk similarities to light.
Sentry Can Deliver The Most Interesting Hulk Story The MCU Moved Past
Hulk’s Internal Struggle Is On Another Level With Sentry
The Hulk story in question is the internal conflict Bruce Banner has always faced between his benevolent side and the more “evil” personality. Of course, it is worth noting that the Hulk is not outright evil and has rarely ever been depicted as so, but his intense anger has often led to the Hulk causing a lot of damage to the people of Earth. In the MCU, this struggle between Bruce and Hulk was highlighted best in 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkand 2012’sThe Avengers.
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Original live-action Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno has let his thoughts on a long-running MCU debate be known, and the Hulk could do with a major change.
Beyond these movies, and one brief scene inAvengers: Age of Ultron,the more angry side of Hulk has faded away in favor of other character arcs. Via Sentry, though, this story of internal conflict between two opposing forces can be realized inThunderbolts*. In Marvel Comics,the unbelievable power of Sentry is offset by a physical manifestation of pure evil.
Sentry’s worst enemy is himself, or at least the incredibly dark opposite half within him…
Robert Reynolds first became the Void during his Marvel Comics origin story, a force of true evil whose powers are nearly limitless that the former cannot control. This led to the creation of Sentry too, an all-powerful force for good that opposes the Void. Therefore, Sentry’s worst enemy is himself, or at least the incredibly dark opposite half within him. ThroughThunderbolts*, this storyline can be capitalized on the MCU to an extreme that the Hulk’s own internal conflict was not, providing a true replacement for the Bruce Banner story many thought was lost for good.
Thunderbolts*
Cast
Thunderbolts follows seven disillusioned individuals who find themselves trapped in a perilous situation. Tasked with a daunting mission, they must face the most shadowy aspects of their histories in order to survive and achieve their goals.
