Thunderbolts*, now out in many theaters worldwide and expected to drop in more locations soon, fully showcases the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on Robert “Bob” Reynolds a.k.a Sentry/Void (Lewis Pullman) and his backstory. As with many MCU characters, Marvel Studios has taken some creative liberties with the character’s origins and powers. Accordingly, fans are now curious about how Bob becomes Sentry and Void in the MCU and how his origin and backstory in the film differ from that in Marvel Comics.
Here is Sentry/Void’s origin and Bob’s MCU backstory in Thunderbolts* and Marvel Comics, explained.
How does Robert ‘Bob’ Reynolds become Sentry and the Void in Thunderbolts*?
In Thunderbolts*, Sentry and Void’s origin is first hinted at when Bob encounters the eponymous protagonists in the room where they all end up fighting. He informs the team that he does not remember how he got there. He also mentions the last thing he remembers — blood being taken from him for a medical trial.
As the film progresses, Sentry’s origins are explored further. As a drug addict, Bob had been wandering in Southeast Asia until he took part in a medical trial in Malaysia. This trial, spearheaded by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine‘s OXE, was a front for the Sentry program. The program’s objective was to create a superhuman capable of filling the void left by the Avengers’ absence.
Multiple test subjects took part in the medical trial, but only Bob survived, despite being initially presumed dead. Later on, Mel, Val’s assistant, explains that Bob is ill-equipped to handle the superhuman powers granted to him, thanks to his mental problems stemming from a troubled childhood involving an abusive father and neglectful mother.
Bob’s troubles eventually gave birth to severe depressive episodes and delusions of grandeur as he grew up. Once he gained his powers, these personality issues manifested in two distinct personalities — the moral Sentry and the evil Void.
How is Sentry’s MCU origin different from Marvel Comics?
In the comics, Sentry’s origin is remarkably different. The character maintains the drug addiction problem depicted in the film. However, Bob gets his Sentry powers by himself without any external help or experimentation.
In the comics, Bob comes across the Golden Sentry Serum and consumes it. The Golden Sentry Serum is an amplified version of the Super Soldier Serum, its potency being increased a thousandfold.