Thunderbolts’ Original Villain Was a Team Member You’ll Never Guess

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Caution: This discussion may reveal spoilers about Thunderbolts! Originally, John Walker (also known as U.S. Agent) was intended to play the antagonist role in Thunderbolts, as revealed by writer Eric Pearson. In this version of the story, Walker would have been akin to Thaddeus Ross from Captain America: Brave New World, but instead of being powered by gamma radiation, he’d be a ticking time-bomb due to Super Soldier Serum. Pearson shared with ScreenRant that this take on the movie was enjoyable, yet it didn’t match the tone he desired. He felt that incorporating Bob Reynolds opened up the narrative he truly wanted, although many of the concepts were already established even before that character was included.

According to Pearson, the initial versions had John Walker as the final antagonist. The concept was that part of Val’s deceit was convincing him that his serum was losing effectiveness, and she was administering drugs to keep him functional. In truth, he was a ticking time bomb; a situation similar to the Hulk. There was supposed to be a poignant moment, like ‘the sun is getting low,’ because from the start of this story, it was intended that our third act fight would end with a reconciliatory hug.

Pearson’s search for an emotional connection drove him to seek out Bob instead of Walker. He elaborated on his reasoning, stating, “I had already incorporated the theme from ‘The Breakfast Club’, so I thought, ‘I need someone who can’t be defeated in a physical fight and whom they must emotionally connect with.’ In 2010 or 2011, during my time at the Marvel Writers program, I read the Sentry comics. In these comics, it was like a battle between the Golden God of Good and Pure Evil. But I thought, ‘What if it’s about heroic ambition versus self-loathing, depression, and loneliness?’

Pearson explained that this character serves as a condensed representation of our heroes’ entire journey. He seamlessly slipped him into the story, and he fit flawlessly. The focus then shifted towards establishing and clarifying the Void space and related concepts.”

In a subsequent part of the interview, Pearson discussed the alteration of Sentry’s memory repression in the MCU versus his multiple personalities in the comics. He likened the on-screen version of Sentry to how Baron Zemo was adapted for the big screen.

The tale in the comic books portrays The Sentry as an incredibly powerful and remarkable character. He’s been around since the Golden Age and, recognizing his potential danger, he deliberately wiped away his own memory from everyone else. This idea is fascinating for comics but might not translate smoothly into a movie. However, we’ve tried to incorporate as many elements as possible. We kept the memory loss aspect, the duality of his character, and the fact that he was an experimental failure. Our aim is to preserve the essence of the comics while adapting it seamlessly into our film world, avoiding any forced appearances. I take great pride in this challenge because it’s not easy to find a balanced solution.

Delving into the mechanics of storytelling, it’s intriguing to ponder how Sentry’s role unfolds within the Multiverse Saga and the potential paths for John Walker ahead. Speaking of which, “Thunderbolts” is currently gracing movie screens near you.

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2025-05-05 18:41