Marvel Studios has always been tight-lipped about upcoming projects, but the secrecy surrounding Thunderbolts* has been more complex than most. Much of that had to do with the film’s antagonist: with Marvel’s most notorious anti-heroes taking center stage, they’d have to unite against a suitably dangerous threat. Who would be big (and bad) enough to stand against such a team? Part of the answer to that mystery lies with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the current director of the CIA, and the anti-Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in a lot of ways. The threat she poses to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has been subtle until now, but Thunderbolts eagerly embraces Valentina’s capacity for evil, using her to introduce an all-new, all-powerful villain.
Valentina may be the one pulling the strings in Thunderbolts, but the eponymous group is mostly facing off against Sentry (Lewis Pullman) and his alter ego, The Void. His introduction to the MCU was one of Thunderbolts’ worst-kept secrets, but Marvel had good reason to keep the character under wraps. Sentry is one of the more complex characters in Marvel comics, with a convoluted origin to boot — his powers basically make him Superman, but he’s hindered by a host of mental disorders and addiction issues. Many wondered how Marvel would adapt his powers and his weaknesses on the big screen: the comics haven’t always done this character justice, nor has the MCU had the best track record with similar themes.
