What Every Original Avenger’s Shame Room Would Be If They Met The Void

In Thunderbolts*, the Void showed it could trap any hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe – even the original Avengers – in their most terrifying nightmares. Lewis Pullman first appeared as Robert Reynolds in Thunderbolts*, a character with a difficult past as a former drug addict who gained superpowers as the Sentry through experiments conducted by the OXE Group. These experiments not only gave Reynolds the power of a thousand exploding suns, but also unleashed his darker side, the Void. The Void created personalized “shame rooms” – terrifying scenarios based on each person’s worst fears – and tormented the people of New York with them.

We witnessed Robert Reynolds confronting the pain of his father’s abuse in a deeply personal space, and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) revisiting the loneliness and isolation of her childhood within the Red Room. The rest of the New Avengers team also faced their most difficult memories, leading us to consider what other MCU heroes would experience in the Void’s shame rooms. Considering the immense trauma experienced by the original six Avengers, their shame rooms would undoubtedly be both captivating and disturbing to witness.

6) Hawkeye Witnessed Natasha Romanoff’s Death

Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, has experienced many difficult moments, giving the Void ample chance to torment Hawkeye with a shame room. However, few events were as deeply upsetting as his inability to prevent his close friend, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), from sacrificing herself on Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone. Barton continued to grapple with the consequences of Romanoff’s death in Hawkeye on Disney+. While his time as Ronin or the loss of his family to Thanos could also be revisited in his shame room, Black Widow’s death would undoubtedly be the most painful memory.

5) Captain America Lost His Friend Who Became the Winter Soldier

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) consistently embodies hope, optimism, and patriotism as Captain America, potentially leading to a more lenient assessment compared to Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, or Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). However, one of Rogers’ most painful experiences involved his inability to save his childhood friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who appeared to fall to his death in Captain America: The First Avenger. Of course, Bucky didn’t actually die; he was discovered by HYDRA and turned into the highly skilled Winter Soldier, then brainwashed and forced to carry out terrible deeds over the next several years – a situation Rogers may feel responsible for.

4) Natasha Romanoff Has Red in Her Ledger From Her Career as a Black Widow

As a critic, I’ve always appreciated how Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, doesn’t shy away from acknowledging her incredibly difficult past. She was raised and manipulated by the Red Room, and we’ve gotten glimpses of that trauma throughout the MCU. Remember when she told Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in The Avengers about the “red in [her] ledger”? That hinted at the darkness she carried. But one moment, in particular, always struck me as especially painful: her use of Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) to lure out her father (Ray Winstone). She hoped to kill him as part of her plan to defect to the United States, but it didn’t work. Thankfully, General Dreykov did eventually meet his end in 2016, though the cost to Natasha was clearly immense.

3) Bruce Banner Put Everyone He Loved at Risk to Become the Hulk

Even before becoming the Hulk, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) was a well-respected physicist and scientist, enjoying a happy life with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). The experiment that transformed him was both a blessing and a curse – and it haunted him for years, becoming a source of deep regret. He’s likely to confront this painful memory again, particularly after encountering the Void, and considering the danger he also put Betty and her father in. While the Hulk has experienced significant trauma, this initial event was likely the most devastating for him.

2) Thor Should Have Gone for the Head

The Asgardian God of Thunder, Thor, has faced many hardships since his first film. The Void would certainly exploit any weakness, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) being confronted by his inner demons would be a prime opportunity. Some of Thor’s most painful experiences include the loss of his mother, constant betrayal by his brother, and being unable to prevent his sister’s destructive actions. However, Thor’s greatest regret is failing to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) during the events of Avengers: Infinity War. His hesitation to deliver the final blow directly resulted in the deaths of half of all living beings in the universe, and ultimately led to years of depression for Thor.

1) Iron Man Would Have Too Many Shame Rooms to Count

From his introduction to the MCU in 2008 until his exit in 2019, Tony Stark’s Iron Man endured a great deal of trauma. This included Yinsen’s sacrifice in Iron Man, Rhodey using his suit without permission in Iron Man 2, the dangerous mission to space with a nuclear missile in The Avengers and the resulting PTSD, seeing visions of his parents’ death in Captain America: Civil War, and unintentionally creating supervillains like Iron Monger, Whiplash, Ultron, Aldrich Killian, and others. All of these events likely caused Tony Stark significant emotional pain.

Robert Downey Jr. and Lewis Pullman are set to star together in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled for release in 2026. However, Downey Jr. won’t be reprising his role as Tony Stark. He will instead play Doctor Doom, portraying Victor Von Doom. It’s currently unknown what challenges or difficult situations the Latverian ruler and iconic villain will face in the Russo brothers’ Phase 6 film. Nevertheless, it will be fantastic to see both Downey Jr. and Pullman back on screen.

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2025-10-03 20:26