I Can’t Believe I’m Hoping For Sentry’s Avengers: Doomsday Appearance To Be Less Comic-Accurate Than Thunderbolts* In One Way

Sentry made a big splash in Thunderbolts*, but when he inevitably returns in Avengers: Doomsday, I really hope they make some adjustments. Lewis Pullman’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut was a wonderful introduction that took his character, Bob Reynolds, to a variety of places. From a lab experiment, to finding a family of his own, Bob’s journey is dark, intense, and ultimately inspirational, but it didn’t start out that way.

And while it was a major departure from the comics in several ways, this version of the character fits well into the MCU. Alongside his fellow misfits, Bob has a similarly twisted past, and all of that leads to this largely unremarkable man becoming something extraordinary. And through intense trials and tribulations, Bob is taken from being a regular guy to becoming Earth’s Mightiest Hero, but even this point in his story has its drawbacks.

Sentry’s MCU Look Gets A Tragic Backstory In Thunderbolts*

Bob Reynolds Walks A Difficult Road To Becoming Sentry

The thing is, Bob was a manufactured superhero. Everything, from his name, to his suit design, and even his blond hair was meticulously mapped out, market researched, and decided upon by people that didn’t know or care who Bob Reynolds is. All that they wanted was a superhero, and Valentina spearheaded the effort in making one that would appeal to the mᴀsses.

As a result, Bob is given false promises of love, care, and tenderness by Valentina, who manipulates him with things he never experienced much as a child. Bob was already a broken man when he came into the OXE Group labs, but by the time he came out, he was torn in pieces, despite becoming incredibly powerful. And then he was shoved into a suit that didn’t have anything to reflect him, forced to dye his hair to become something else, and then commanded to be a lapdog by Valentina.

Bob Loses His Sentry Look By The Thunderbolts* Ending

Void’s Appearance Erased Sentry

Unfortunately for Bob, Valentina had no loyalty to him, and when he questions her choices about what heshould do, she has his kill switch triggered. Bob then turns into the Void, and inside his own head, he returns to looking like the feeble man that appeared at the start of the film, with no suit, and no dyed hair. However, when he overcomes his dark side and returns to normal, this look persists, with the suit and dyed hair disappearing to be replaced with Bob as an ordinary man instead of his alter-ego, Sentry.

While this may appear a little confusing at first, I believe it makes perfect sense for the character, removing the false parts of him and making him appear more genuinely himself. The only issue is, this look was very much what the comics made Sentry. Evidently, with the MCU’s new direction, it doesn’t feel genuine for Bob to keep using the suit that was forced on him, or to cater his entire look to Valentina’s whims, but it does present an interesting question about how he may present himself if he becomes Sentry again.

I’m Hoping Sentry’s MCU Design Doesn’t Return Based On Its Backstory

Sentry Needs To Be Reinvented For Avengers: Doomsday And Beyond

Personally, I think Bob should follow the path of many other MCU-adapted superheros, and get a style and look that is more suited to the big-screen experience than the pages of a comic. As cool as the Golden Guardian of Good costume might be, it’s also kind of tacky and silly. A golden suit with big emblazoned letters, blond dyed hair, and even the cape all feel a little bit weird for a character like Bob Reynolds in the live-action MCU.

Instead, maybe Bob could don a suit that better reflects him, show more unity with his team, The New Avengers, and help to establish him as a worthy addition to the MCU. He doesn’t need dyed hair, but it would make sense for the character to have homages to his original design, such as the emblem, and the golden colors. However, to do it right after Thunderbolts*, Avengers: Doomsday and subsequent movies should depict Bob Reynolds in a way that is a better fit for his story.