Even Thunderbolts* Meth Lines Still Follow 1 MCU Rule, Despite Showing How Much The Franchise Has Changed

Over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

has refined how it makes movies into a delicate process with clear boundaries, and Thunderbolts*

proves that is still in effect despite a rogue drug reference. The MCU that exists today is not the same one that was formed in 2008. Yes, the same characters continue to appear in these movies, and the world is connected overall, but in terms of how careful the studios behind creating these movies are about their brand and idenтιтy, things have progressed a lot over the years.

For instance, when Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk came out in 2008, both movies had a slightly darker tone due to their indie nature than many of the movies that followed. They also included scenes with alcohol, and tobacco, cigars, and pipes. Since then, Marvel was purchased by Disney, and the films have ensured that while they are allowed a certain degree of freedom, there are things the House of Mouse does not want included in the movies. Namely, the films are prohibited from showing drug use.

Thunderbolts* Gives Bob His Comic History With Drug Addiction

Bob Has A History Of Drug Abuse

In the comics, Sentry is introduced as a character who has an intensive drug addiction. This actually comes to play a large part in the mental state of the character, and it’s imperative to his story. So, in order to replicate this in the MCU, they reference the fact that Bob was once a drug abuser. In the movie, Bob makes it clear that at low points in his life, he turned to drugs, and it led to a period of aimlessness and wandering, with the drug abuse in turn being a result of his unhappy family situation and abuse at home.

Thankfully, the fact that Disney did not put a stop to the mere mention of this backstory helps to further build the character of Bob Reynolds in the MCU in a way that at least partially hearkens back to the comics, despite other changes around how he is introduced and the discovery that Sentry and the Void are the same person. Regardless, Thunderbolts* including this detail in the way that it did also highlights how Marvel has been careful in the way that it approaches these challenging topics.

Thunderbolts*’ Drug Comments Still Follow A Rule Shawn Levy Comments On With ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine Had To Abide By Marvel’s Rules When Joining The MCU

In 2024, another Marvel character joined the MCU, except he had a history and a series of films where he had already established himself as a figure who indulged heavily in drugs. ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, is a loud, boisterous, and cheeky character who lives life by his own rules, and seeks to do everything to the fullest. So it’s no wonder that the first two ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movies see the character, Wade Wilson, consume copious amounts of drugs. However, when the character was making his way to the MCU, director Shawn Levy was given some advice and direction which he shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about where the studio drew the line for indulging ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool.

“That was an early one, and so was naming that the only rule we were given by Feige is no cocaine…which is absolutely a fact. Early on, Kevin was like, ‘Look, we want a fully ‘ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movie. The only thing maybe is, maybe we don’t do all the drug use, the cocaine use with Al and Wade. And we were like ‘Yes sir, yep, copy that,’ and we went home and literally wrote the joke about Feige requesting no cocaine, and it became one of the first jokes that we wrote.”

Now, Feige was not explicit in saying that they couldn’t mention drugs, and with ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool being a character who breaks the fourth wall, he made this known to the audience at an early stage in the movie in order to explain and joke about why this movie was shifting away from that aspect of the earlier films. In this regard, it seems that Marvel Studios and Disney are clearly not keen to have actual drug abuse appear in their movies, but they have a slightly looser leash for references to drug abuse, and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine was able to capitalize on that for humor.

Why Thunderbolts* Referencing Meth But Having No Cocaine Use Does Make Sense

Thunderbolts* Closely Follows The Rules And Regulations As Set Out By Marvel

While Thunderbolts* doesn’t include drug abuse or references to such actions for humor, it was allowed to include a reference that highlights a dark part of Bob’s past. And, the movie even goes so far as to have the group of mismatched heroes see a version of Bob at that point in a chicken suit twirling a sign. None of these actions explicitly break the code of conduct when it comes to avoiding any depictions of drug abuse, as the movie only mentions this period, and shows the ill effects of such behavior.

And while one could consider depictions of drug abuse to be harmful or encourage behaviors that are not explicitly legal or positive, the reference to such in this instance is framed as being harmful and bad. This is clearly different to the way that earlier ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool movies play out drug abuse as a gag. In this way, the movie satisfies the conditions and rules set out by Marvel Studios and the executives, while still being faithful to the history and origin of Bob Reynolds from the comics in terms of his addiction and struggles. And ultimately, that flexibility to work within those lines helps to make both movies better, embodying the characters and creating a more immersive, captivating story.

Thunderbolts* Not Referencing Drug Use Would Have Majorly Impacted Sentry’s Story

Sentry’s Past Is Part Of What Makes The Character Work

Bob Reynolds is a broken man. While he may be the hero whose power is compared to being as potent as a million exploding suns, the frailty of his mind means that this incredible powerhouse of a hero is still deeply flawed and facing inner struggles. When heroes don’t have a conflict, or a weakness, they stand to become incredibly boring, but the conflict is a big part of what makes their stories worth following. The same is true for Bob, and it helps to ensure the character of Sentry isn’t simply some godly hero who can defeat anyone with minimal effort.

Instead, the biggest conflicts for Sentry come from his internal struggles with depression, anxiety, feeling worthless, and hollow. Bob is not an average superhero, because his powers are so exceptionally beyond what most other heroes are capable of. But at the same time, Bob is also more scarred than other heroes in a way that impacts every part of his experience. And his greatest rival stems from that darkness, which creates the Void that he actively fights in several Marvel Comics stories. All things considered, it will be interesting to see where the character goes next after Thunderbolts*.