The Sentry has only just debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he’s helping define the franchise’s bold, new era. The wildcard of Thunderbolts* has taken the world by storm and now that fans have gotten to know the powerful, godlike figure, Sentry’s co-creator is stepping in to air his thoughts about the hero.
The Sentry is one of the Marvel Universe’s most perplexing, yet engaging heroes. He first appeared in a self-тιтled miniseries under the Marvel Knights banner and was presented as a hero who’d fought alongside Marvel heroes for years, but was completely forgotten about. Now that Sentry has officially debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (portrayed by Lewis Pullman in Thunderbolts*), Sentry’s co-creator Paul Jenkins spoke with Comicbook.com to talk about how Bob Reynolds changed the game for Brian Michael Bendis’ run on New Avengers and how Bob Reynolds’ struggles makes for an incredibly relatable, modern superhero for the MCU.
Sentry’s Co-Creator on The Mental Health Struggles Behind the Sentry
How the Breakout Thunderbolts* Character Became Marvel’s Newest Icon
With Thunderbolts* in theaters (and making absolute bank), Paul Jenkins’, co-creator of the Sentry, sat down for an interview with Comicbook.com to discuss the character. Jenkins is frank in his discussion about Sentry’s history, including how the character was originally envisioned as part of a pitch to DC Comics for an Hourman series. While the pitch didn’t get approved, the idea of a hero battling addiction resonated with Jenkins, who refined the idea and reworked it into what became The Sentry for Marvel Comics.
Bob later teamed up with several Marvel heroes such as Spider-Man and the Hulk in a series of one-sH๏τs, all of which can be read along with the original miniseries in the 2001 collected edition, The Sentry.
Though The Sentry was created as a miniseries, Jenkins was later contacted by Brian Michael Bendis who, at the time, was preparing to revamp the Avengers with his New Avengers series. According to Jenkins, Bendis wanted to use “good new characters” and settled on the Sentry. Jenkins highlighted how brilliant Bendis’ inclusion of the Sentry in New Avengers was, saying that it “served as a commentary on our fragile mental health”. Jenkins’ highlighted the Sentry’s struggles with his dark half, the Void, as a compelling premise for the character.
…the Sentry can “be for people with mental health challenges what Black Panther could be for people of color”…
Jenkins also discussed his role as a script consultant on Thunderbolts*, working with director Jake Schrier to get Bob’s character just right. Jenkins highlights how he believes that the Sentry can “be for people with mental health challenges what Black Panther could be for people of color”, noting that Jenkins has lost count of fan mail from readers praising the Sentry. The comic creator discusses how important it is to represent the struggles of those with mental health and how he believes the Thunderbolts* does a great job with the Sentry and those sensitive issues.
Paul Jenkins is Right, The Sentry is Perfect for a New Marvel Era
The MCU’s Bob Reynolds Can Do Just as Good Work as the Comics
The Marvel Universe has been going strong for nearly two decades. But while the franchise has left an indelible imprint on pop culture, it’s taken a while to get good representation going. The past few years, Marvel Studios has done a good job of lifting other demographics with heroes that reflect a more diverse world. But there’s been a certain shyness when it comes to heroes struggling with mental illness. Granted, various shows and films have touched on issues such as depression and anxiety, but not to the extent that the Sentry has.
Thunderbolts* is very open and honest about Bob’s struggles and how they’ve impacted his life.
The truth is, there are a lot of people out there in the world who grapple with various mental illnesses to various degrees and, by most accounts, the MCU has shied away from that. However, the Sentry doesn’t. Thunderbolts* is very open and honest about Bob’s struggles and how they’ve impacted his life. That kind of refreshing take is exactly what fans want to see in the MCU, especially this late in the game when viewers are really craving something new from the franchise.
As Paul Jenkins discusses, the Sentry was a game-changer for comic book readers who saw themselves represented in the hero as he battled some truly harrowing struggles. It’s great to see that Marvel Studios is pushing itself by accurately bringing a character like the Sentry to life, including all of his struggles, instead of downplaying them. It’s a new day for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and with the Sentry around, it’ll be interesting to see where things go from here.
Source: Comicbook.com
