Steven Yeun’s Thunderbolts Comments Suggest A Short MCU Career

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Steven Yeun has revealed more about his role in Marvel Studios' upcoming Thunderbolts film, which could hint at a short MCU career for the actor. Steven Yeun rose to fame as Glenn Rhee on AMC's The Walking Dead, though he has since had starring roles in Okja, Minari, Nope, and the 2023 comedy series Beef. In February 2023, it was announced that Yeun would be joining the ensemble cast of Thunderbolts in a major but undisclosed role. Not much is known about Yeun's key role in Thunderbolts, but the actor has revealed a little more about why he wanted to join the MCU.
Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige announced the development of Thunderbolts at 2022's SDCC, and the line-up of the anti-hero team was revealed later that year at the D23 Expo. As part of the MCU's Phase 5, Thunderbolts will bring together morally questionable characters from previous MCU projects, with Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus reprising their roles. After Yeun's casting in the project, there was speculation that he would be portraying the MCU's Sentry, a super-powerful character in Marvel Comics, though this hasn't yet been confirmed.
Steven Yeun Wants To Work With Jake Schreier On Thunderbolts

Speaking to Empire, Steven Yeun explained why he decided to join the ranks of Thunderbolts, suggesting that it was the perfect opportunity to team up with director Jake Schreier once again. Schreier previously worked very recently with Yeun on the 2023 Netflix series Beef, which saw Yeun portray Danny Cho, a contractor who becomes involved in a road rage incident with Ali Wong's Amy Lau. Schreier was an executive producer on the series, directed six out of the ten episodes in season 1, and will also be regrouping with Beef's Lee Sung Jin, Harry Yoon, and Grace Yun for the MCU's Thunderbolts.
Yeun told Empire that joining the MCU wasn't "explicitly on [his] bucket list," but that he was attracted by "the story, [and] getting to work with Jake Schreier again, who directed Beef, and what his intentions were." While Yeun's Thunderbolts character hasn't yet been revealed, the fact that Schreier had a very specific vision for the role that would make Yeun the perfect candidate is very exciting. However, the fact that Yeun hadn't shown much interest in joining the MCU had Schreier not been involved suggests that his major role in Thunderbolts might also be the end of his Marvel Studios journey.
Yeun’s MCU Career Could Be A One-Time Deal

Steven Yeun is no stranger to the superhero genre, as he has starred in Prime Video's Invincible, created by Robert Kirkman, since 2021. Yeun voices Mark Grayson in the animated series, a 17-year-old who gains superpowers under the guidance of his father, Omni-Man, the most powerful superhero on the planet. Steven Yeun's rumored Thunderbolts character, the Sentry, seems to display a similar power set to Mark Grayson, a.k.a. Invincible, so the role could be perfect for Yeun in the MCU. However, his reveal that he is only joining Thunderbolts to work with Schreier could suggest that, once production of the film is over, Yeun might also leave the role.
Marvel Studios has a history of introducing major villains from Marvel Comics but limiting their major screen time to one movie. This pattern has affected the likes of the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, Whiplash in Iron Man 2, Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Malekith in Thor: The Dark World. It would be a shame to see this trend continue with Yeun's MCU character, particularly since the Sentry has some incredibly rich storylines in Marvel Comics that would be great to see adapted to live-action.
MCU Sentry Deserves More Than Just 1 Project

Although Marvel Studios hasn't confirmed that Yeun will be portraying the Sentry in Thunderbolts, this casting choice has been a popular theory since Yeun joined the project. In Marvel Comics, Robert Reynolds debuted in 2000's The Sentry #1, waking one day remembering that he is the superhero known as the Sentry. Reynolds embarks on a quest to get his former superhero friends to remember him too. The Sentry's complexities lie with his evil alter-ego, the Void, which would also make the Sentry a great choice to debut in Thunderbolts, as he is simultaneously one of the most powerful heroes and one of the most terrifying villains in Marvel lore.
Should Steven Yeun actually be portraying the Sentry in Thunderbolts, it's a worrying prospect that the character might not be around for more than one project. The Sentry is a major part of several high-profile storylines in Marvel Comics, including the Civil War event, Secret Invasion, and World War Hulk, which is rumored to be being adapted for the MCU. If the Sentry is to be introduced in the MCU's Phase 5, the character deserves a long and fruitful career in the MCU.
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