The Sentry returns once more in New Avengers Vol. 1 #10 “The Sentry: Conclusion” (2005), Marvel Comics. Words by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Steve McNiven, Mark Morales, John Dell, Morry Hollowell, Laura Martin, Richard Starkings, and Albert Deschense.
In a sentiment that while maybe a bit boisterous absolutely came from a place of genuine care and compassion, veteran Marvel Comics writer and the Sentry creator Paul Jenkins has revealed that one of his hopes for Thunderbolts was that its depiction of the troubled hero could give individuals struggling with mental health the same sort of ‘not alone’ representation that the Black Panther‘s gave to its target demo.
The Void (Lewis Pullman) emerges in Thunderbolts (2025), Marvel Entertainment
Jenkins, who in addition to introducing the world to the Golden Guardian of Good in the original Sentry Vol. 1 miniseries is perhaps best known to Marvel readers for his runs on Inhumans Vol. 2, Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 1, and Incredible Hulk Vol. 2, spoke to his thoughts on the hero’s MCU debut while chatting with AIPT Comics‘ David Brooke ahead of the film’s release.
Beginning with his initial reactions to learning that his original character would be making the leap to live-action, the prolific Marvel Comics writer asserted, “I suspected the film would be pretty special.”
Bob tries to get back into the swing of things in Sentry Vol. 1 #2 “Act 2: The Unicorn” (2000), Marvel Comics. Words by Paul Jenkins, art by Jae Lee, José Villarrubia, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott.
From there, Jenkins recalled that – in an admitted departure from the studio’s confirmed habit of avoiding its source material – “I was able to work on it as a consultant, and I met [director] Jake Schreier early on to talk about what the Sentry really meant.”
“I get contacted all the time by people who thank me for creating the Sentry because they’re dealing with mental health issues,” he recalled. “And I told Jake, maybe Sentry could be for people struggling with mental health what Black Panther was for people of color — they’ll see themselves. They’ll know it.”
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) offers Bob (Lewis Pullman) the life of his dreams in Thunderbolts (2025), Marvel Entertainment
As actually done justice by Lewis Pullman in Thunderbolts (surprisingly so, given how often the studio explicitly tells its talent to avoid their source material), Jenkins’ original take on the Sentry is not the virtuous paragon of justice he presents himself to be, but rather a former meth addict whose attempt to find a fix leads him to break into a science lab and wantonly consume the serum that would grant him the power of .
However, already suffering from his own latent schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and general anxiety disorder, the serum also latched onto his darker impulses and created The Void, an ‘alternate personality’ of the Sentry who seeks to balance out his counterpart’s heroism with murder and destruction.
Dr. Worth confronts Bob about The Void’s true nature in Sentry Vol. 2 #5 (2006), Marvel Comics. Words by Paul Jenkins, art by John Romita Jr., Mark Morales, Dean White, and Rus Wooton.
And though the years have seen Bob regularly seek therapy for his problems, rather than his struggles never being mentioned ever again, they continue to be his most powerful foe, oftentimes overwhelming him and causing him to lose control of his powers – an admittedly relatable metaphor for anyone dealing with such issues.
(It should be noted that though Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers Vol. 1 retconned The Void into being a completely separate entity from Robert Reynolds – with Dark Avengers Vol. 1 #13 even implying that the entity was also the biblical Angel of Death that rained down upon Egypt in the Old Testament – recent years have seen the two fused back into a single body, as originally intended by Jenkins and later adapted by Pullman.)
The Void (Lewis Pullman) gives the world a demonstration of his power in Thunderbolts (2025), Marvel Entertainment
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Offering praise to Pullman’s portrayal of his character, Jenkins told Brooke, “Lewis’ performance is something people are really going to dig. He captures the pain, the light and dark, the full duality of the Sentry.”
“The Sentry is about the two sides of ourselves,” he added. “The bit that’s easy, the bit that’s hard, the bit that’s light, the bit that’s dark.”
The Sentry literally meets his maker in New Avengers Vol. 1 #7 “The Sentry: Part 1” (2005), Marvel Comics. Words by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Steve McNiven, Mark Morales, Morry Hollowell, Laura Martin, Richard Starkings, and Albert Deschense.
On this note, the Sentry creator revealed that while he had originally pitched the hero to DC, he ultimately realized that Marvel Comics was where his story belonged, particularly as “Marvel characters are grounded. Their power is their problem.”
“Spider-Man has to keep a secret identity,” he explained. “Daredevil can’t see. Professor X can’t walk. And the Sentry is dealing with schizophrenia and agoraphobia.”
Closing out this portion of their discussion, Jenkins ultimately opined, “In hindsight, I think it probably is better to have been a Marvel character than a DC character.”
Dr. Worth recounts his recent discovery regarding The Void’s identity in Sentry Vol. 2 #5 (2006), Marvel Comics. Words by Paul Jenkins, art by John Romita Jr., Mark Morales, Dean White, and Rus Wooton.
Though not directly related to his interview with AIPT, one would be remiss to discuss Jenkins’ enthusiasm for Thunderbolts‘ use of Sentry without directing readers to check out his personal Twitter account, whereat he has spent the days since the movie’s release having the time of his life sharing behind-the-scenes info, interacting with fans, and just generally reveling in the positive sentiment surrounding the surprise MCU sleeper hit.
Paul Jenkins (@mypauljenkins) via Twitter
NEXT: Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts*’ Review – The Bob-In-The-Box Club
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Marvel Comics’ Paul Jenkins believed the Sentry appearing in ‘Thunderbolts’ could provide mental health representation à la ‘Black Panther’. Read More