‘Thunderbolts*’ and The Sentry have given the MCU a brand-new lease on life
“Thunderbolts*” Photo credit: Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
I will start this in reverse order. I am going with the antagonist first, and by now, everyone knows who I am referring to, and that is The Sentry. Wow, the MCU version of The Sentry is something else; he is a force to be reckoned with in the Thunderbolts, the kind of supervillain that emphasizes the word “super.” He represents a breed of villain that has long been missing in the MCU, and for him to finally make his big screen debut approximately twenty-five years after first appearing in Marvel Comics is the ideal way to put the spotlight on The Sentry. Without a doubt, he is the closest thing to an evil version of Superman that the MCU has. If you watch the “Thunderbolts*,” you’ll see why I made that comparison to the one and only “Man of Steel” of DC Comics.
I can still remember when I first saw The Sentry in Marvel Comics, which was in an issue of Spider-Man in 2000. To have The Sentry be the next supervillain chosen to appear in any MCU movie speaks to the potential appeal of this comic book character to moviegoers, because the range of powers that The Sentry possesses is practically everything you can think of: from super-strength, flight, super-speed, telekinesis, phasing, heat vision, and so on. The Sentry is practically invincible, immortal, and belongs to the highest-ranking system for supervillains, which places him in a category reserved for the most powerful supervillains in Marvel Comics and now, in the MCU.
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If you asked me or other longtime comic book readers and collectors a few years ago, if The Sentry was the next supervillain for the MCU to incorporate into their own, I would say “No” because the guy was so ridiculously powerful, then, you add the fact he is insane, deranged and diabolical, maybe, it would be too extreme for the younger moviegoers and fans to watch him in that regard, but I like what they did with him here, it is just enough of everything that has made The Sentry the monster he is in Marvel Comics without making the moviegoers get grossed with seeing body parts, bloodbaths and massive casualties of death, because The Sentry is a killer, man! He kills in mass amounts in Marvel Comics without any sense of remorse or guilt. Plus, he is the first turn-of-the-century supervillain comic book adaptation for the MCU, meaning this supervillain debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics exactly 25 years ago.
For anyone who watched the “Thunderbolts*,” you can see why he was chosen to be the next big baddie to leap to the big screen in the MCU. The Sentry looks awe-inspiring in his comic book-accurate costume. Time and time again, it pays to be accurate, and The Sentry’s set list of powers makes mincemeat of superheroes, anti-heroes, and anyone who foolishly tries to stop him; he disposes of them with ease. He does so while looking convincing, thanks to the believable incorporation of CGI in the fight sequences. Those attention-grabbing scenes impress with how seamlessly everything was executed; hands down, they featured some of the all-time best fight moments I have seen from the MCU, showcasing a supervillain that the studio could enjoy, letting their imaginations run wild and tapping into their creativity based on what The Sentry represents in Marvel Comics.
The members of the “Thunderbolts*,” in this specific incarnation, which mixed never-before-seen characters with a few recent ones, were ideal choices for The Sentry to confront or serve as the “test subjects” for this supreme being who ticks all the boxes. This is what an antagonist should be in a comic book-based movie: a threat to the superheroes that, as a moviegoer, you’re unsure if they can defeat or even survive by the movie’s end. Either way, The Sentry has helped save the “Thunderbolts*” movie from being a throwaway entry in the MCU; he was that f****** great!
“Thunderbolts*” Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios
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Now, with our spotlight on The Sentry, the superheroes, or in this case, the anti-heroes, also deserve attention, because who knew they could function this well? Well, “function” is a bit of a stretch, but let’s just say they managed to survive their deadly encounter with The Sentry and his alter ego, which I will not mention further, as that was something else to watch on the big screen. On the other hand, as awesome as The Sentry is here, wow, the faces he goes up against collectively are a force on their own that measures up well with The Sentry because you get a representation of the extreme balancing acts between the overpowered and the averagely powered characters in the MCU. And, as the moviegoer sees how far off their abilities are from each other, it is shocking to say the least, and it puts everything in perspective to see that happen for a change, such as this brilliantly made movie.
There are times when you need a movie like this: more modestly budgeted, with more realistic aims, that flies below the radar a bit. The parallels here with the “Thunderbolts*” and their comic book counterparts are astonishingly similar in terms of how comic book readers and collectors view any of the “Thunderbolts*” members, regardless of their roster line-up, which includes supervillains or anti-heroes, or a combination of both. You wouldn’t expect them to do any real good in the long term. The same initial feeling applies to their MCU-based counterparts, but in both mediums, they always prove you wrong in the end. I truly liked that they brought this to the big screen for all moviegoers to watch.
The “Thunderbolts*” were more than lower-tier MCU characters; they transcended being categorized as secondary Marvel comic book characters and were far from fillers in this movie because each of them contributed something essential to their team. In peril or life-or-death situations, individuals might either crumble under pressure, tear each other apart in panic, or, if fortunate, rise to the occasion and confront the enemy head-on without fear. Red Guardian, Ghost, Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier, U.S. Agent, and Yelena Belova are not your typical anti-heroes turned superheroes—they’re fearless even in the face of death.
First of all, these individuals have dark pasts, and the evil actions they’ve committed have hurt a lot of people in their respective lives. Still, if redemption exists, they seem to have found it. As a moviegoer, you may feel they are striving to redeem themselves and start anew, because evil that threatens all of mankind triggers something within you; it awakens any remaining goodness you possess to stop it, and these unassuming people have surely discovered their higher calling in life. The “Thunderbolts*” demonstrated to all moviegoers that you do not need to be the most popular, the most likable, or the most powerful; all you need is heart, and plenty of it.
Out of all the “Thunderbolts*” members, at least half lack real superpowers or superhuman abilities, so they rely on their wits, resourcefulness, bravery, intelligence, military/special forces training, and all fighting skills to compensate for the absence of powers that more well-known superheroes have. I believe that weighs on them significantly and pressures them to do more than they normally should in any scenario presented to them.
Interestingly, the “Thunderbolts*” exhibit a team dynamic suggesting there’s no singular leader, just a team of equals, unlike past superhero teams. Indeed, they stand out from the rest by lacking a team leader, and while others might view that as a weakness in them, on the contrary, it is not, as all of them eventually become united for one thing, and that is to finish the job by any means necessary, even without a clear leader among their ranks.
Notice I am being careful and only touching on broad aspects because I do not want to reveal any major spoilers; this MCU movie exceeded my expectations and more. Initially, when I wrote my previous entertainment articles about the upcoming “Thunderbolts*” film, I thought it might be a sleeper hit. I immediately compared the “Thunderbolts*” to The Suicide Squad of DC Comics due to the team’s formation, class of members, and initial purpose.
However, I can confidently say that the “Thunderbolts*,” as a movie, surpassed both The Suicide Squad films. Indeed, this was something special in the making. Months ago, when I looked back on the events leading to the worldwide release of the “Thunderbolts*,” I sensed that something exciting was brewing; there was a low-key level of excitement with this one, and moviegoers were cautiously optimistic, and I’m so glad Marvel Studios delivered big time. Congratulations to Marvel Studios for successfully establishing a new batch of superheroes, or in this case, reformed antiheroes, on the list of soon-to-be popular MCU characters for everyone to get behind. They urgently needed this victory to end the streak of recent losses in the eyes of moviegoers. Now, they can tell everyone who selfishly wished the “Thunderbolts*” to fail to kiss their ***! Haha….
Behold, the “Thunderbolts*” is the newest superhero team to be recognized in the MCU.
