As the cast for Marvel’s Thunderbolts* was being assembled at the top of the year ahead of the production getting started in February, a few shakeups occurred behind the scenes. Among them, Steven Yeun dropped out of the movie after it was accidentally revealed he was set to play Sentry before Top Gun: Maverick’s Lewis Pullman was said to have been cast to take his place. Pullman has just addressed those rumors, and while vague, I have some thoughts about what he said.
Lewis Pullman Dodged Marvel Rumors… Hard
When Lewis Pullman guested on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused show, its host Josh Horowitz asked the Lessons In Chemistry actor about his rumored debut in one of the upcoming Marvel movies, Thunderbolts*. Here’s what he had to say:
The MCU is always something I've watched and felt like is a beautiful world that is kind of untouchable. But I think that there is something about joining that world that is similar to joining television, which is whenever someone joins it you want it to be a character that you can live in for a long time and you would want it to be an aspect of the world that you would want to be in. So, if I were to ever get that call it would be very important to take those things into account.
So, that’s how he’s playing it. Pullman commented on being in the MCU, before saying “if” he was to get the call, like it has never actually happened. And to be clear, the report of his casting came from a rather reputable source in The Hollywood Reporter. Horowitz went on to stoke the flames further by showing Pullman an illustration of Sentry. Pullman bust up laughing before saying this:
Who is that? What a beautiful costume.
After that, as the host continued to talk about his rumored upcoming role, Lewis Pullman only batted away the character further. In his words:
I haven’t looked into Sentry. That’s the first I’ve heard of that name.
I must also note that oftentimes when he said these comments he would tap his nose ever so gently, which is a rather common tell for a lie. I get it, he’s got the Marvel overlord on his back! I mean, of course he does.
My Excited Takeaways From Lewis Pullman’s Comments
While Lewis Pullman was trying to give nothing in that interview, I think he gave something! For one, I think if he hadn’t been cast, he’d probably say straight up, “Hey, I’m not in it, actually.” But his comments smell more like someone who signed an NDA not to say anything about his Marvel role and keep his mouth shut for now.
My other takeaway lies in that first comment he gives about Marvel. Pullman talks about wanting to play a character with longevity that would matter to the MCU. And Sentry definitely has the makings of this. Marvel Comics’ Robert Reynolds has often been compared to Superman when it comes to his powers and abilities. However, his origin story is arguably more interesting.
In the comics, Reynolds starts off as a meth addict who breaks into a laboratory and ingests Golden Sentry Serum, which gives him the power of a million exploding suns, thus turning him into a hero. That could certainly be a character the MCU might want to keep around as it sets up more Avengers movies, that’s for sure.
You can check out what else we know about Marvel’s Thunderbolts* here on CinemaBlend. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 5, 2025.
