A nobody with a secret
When we first meet Bob, he is a confused, gentle young man who cannot explain where he is or how he got there. He has a patchy memory, a sad history and a habit of apologizing for himself. He honestly believes he is nobody special.
He is wrong. Bob was part of a secret experiment, and what it did to him is the mystery at the center of Thunderbolts*. The power he carries is far beyond anything the rest of the team can match. The film is careful about how it reveals that power and what it costs him, so we will keep the details vague.
Sentry's appearances so far
- Thunderbolts*, essential. His introduction.
- Avengers: Doomsday, essential on our list. Upcoming; plot details have not been announced.
Why he matters
Most new characters arrive with a costume and a clear job. Bob arrives with a question: what happens to a fragile person who is handed the strength of a god? Thunderbolts* treats that question seriously. His story is about mental health as much as superpowers, and it ties directly to the film's bigger theme of damaged people trying to be more than their worst moments.
That makes him a wild card for the future. Without spoiling the ending, Thunderbolts* leaves the MCU with a very powerful new figure whose stability is never guaranteed. It is easy to see why he is part of the road to the next Avengers film.
The team around Bob
Yelena Belova is the person who connects with him most. She sees her own emptiness in his, and their conversations are the emotional core of the film. John Walker, the hot-headed former Captain America, is less patient and more threatened by him. Ghost, Ava Starr, is a phasing operative with her own history of being used as a weapon, which gives her a sharp, wary view of Bob. All three are caught up in the same scheme that brought Bob into the story, and the way they react to him says a lot about each of them.
Lewis Pullman as Sentry
Lewis Pullman plays Bob. He plays the early scenes with a soft, almost childlike awkwardness that makes you want to protect the character, then shifts into something much colder when the story calls for it. The performance works because you believe both sides belong to the same person.
Pullman is known for playing the pilot nicknamed Bob in Top Gun: Maverick, a fun coincidence for this role. He was also in Bad Times at the El Royale and the series Lessons in Chemistry.
What to watch before and after
For Sentry, the plan is short:
- Watch Thunderbolts*. It introduces Bob and explains everything you currently need to know.
- Then wait for Avengers: Doomsday, his next listed appearance.
Thunderbolts* works on its own, but it hits harder if you know the other team members. Black Widow sets up Yelena, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduces John Walker. Neither is required to understand Bob himself, whose story starts fresh in this film. For more of the new faces heading toward Doomsday, browse our Marvel characters page.