"There's A Lot Of Trauma To Be Mined": Why The Void Is The Perfect Thunderbolts* Villain Explained By MCU Director
Director Jake Schreier explains what makes Sentry and the Void unique MCU villains in Thunderbolts*.
In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier discusses the unique qualities of Lewis Pullman"s Sentry and his Void alter ego, who pose a more cerebral threat to the titular heroes than most other Marvel antagonists. Schreier explains that Sentry is too powerful to be punched into submission, but also that Thunderbolts* needs a better climax than the heroes giving the antagonist "a talking-down". The director highlights the common "trauma" between the Thunderbolts and their connection to Sentry through it, and reveals that he talked with Sentry creator Paul Jenkins about the character"s resonating mental health theme. Read Jake Schreier"s full comments below:
[indent] ScreenRant: Thunderbolts* marks the second movie in a row from Marvel, after Brave New World, where the emotional climax feels like it"s bigger than the physical one. Was that a conscious shift towards more nuanced, character-driven storytelling at Marvel?
Jake Schreier: "I think it more just came from the endemic story that we had to tell. When you have Sentry and the Void - and people have said it online, "How are they supposed to beat that guy?" - we know it"s always going to have to be a more internal version. I think what we tried to do is have that be more than a talking-down, and really find a visual action narrative way to dramatize what that internality looks like. And I hope it resonates.
The good thing is, in this world, there"s a lot of trauma to be mined. They"ve gone through a lot. When you have a character like Bob, The Sentry and The Void, you know that"s part of the story, and that"s such a rich character. We talked to Paul Jenkins, who created it, and it always was meant to be a parable for mental health.
So, we have to do something that plays in that world if we"re going to be honest about who that character is. And then it becomes about, "How do we tie the arcs of the other characters to be such that they fit with that antagonist?"
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In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier discusses the unique qualities of Lewis Pullman"s Sentry and his Void alter ego, who pose a more cerebral threat to the titular heroes than most other Marvel antagonists. Schreier explains that Sentry is too powerful to be punched into submission, but also that Thunderbolts* needs a better climax than the heroes giving the antagonist "a talking-down". The director highlights the common "trauma" between the Thunderbolts and their connection to Sentry through it, and reveals that he talked with Sentry creator Paul Jenkins about the character"s resonating mental health theme. Read Jake Schreier"s full comments below:
[indent] ScreenRant: Thunderbolts* marks the second movie in a row from Marvel, after Brave New World, where the emotional climax feels like it"s bigger than the physical one. Was that a conscious shift towards more nuanced, character-driven storytelling at Marvel?
Jake Schreier: "I think it more just came from the endemic story that we had to tell. When you have Sentry and the Void - and people have said it online, "How are they supposed to beat that guy?" - we know it"s always going to have to be a more internal version. I think what we tried to do is have that be more than a talking-down, and really find a visual action narrative way to dramatize what that internality looks like. And I hope it resonates.
The good thing is, in this world, there"s a lot of trauma to be mined. They"ve gone through a lot. When you have a character like Bob, The Sentry and The Void, you know that"s part of the story, and that"s such a rich character. We talked to Paul Jenkins, who created it, and it always was meant to be a parable for mental health.
So, we have to do something that plays in that world if we"re going to be honest about who that character is. And then it becomes about, "How do we tie the arcs of the other characters to be such that they fit with that antagonist?"
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