After The Thunderbolts* Writer Addressed Where Other Marvel Heroes Were During The Void's Attack, I'm Disappointed We May Never See Their Trauma Rooms

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*Thunderbolts* had Sentry’s dark side, the Void, wrap up New York City in his shadows, and we now have an official response to whether Spider-Man and other Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes who operate in NYC were affected by the villain, but I find it disappointing. I was surprised by the sheer scope of the Void’s powers, with the character being able to send everyone into a shadow realm of sorts — the Void — and make them relive traumas from their past.

We got to see what those trauma rooms looked like for a few of the Thunderbolts, and even for those we did not get to see, like Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, I think it was easy to imagine what their rooms would have looked like. While the characters on the team are far from the only heroes in the MCU’s New York, by the time Thunderbolts*‘s ending kicks in, we never get to see heroes like Daredevil and Spider-Man to know whether they were affected by the Void. Sadly, we might never know the answer to that question.

Thunderbolts*’s Writer Does Not Have A Concrete Answer About The Whereabouts Of NYC’s Heroes

Sentry’s Evil Persona Might Have Affected All New York Heroes

Thunderbolts*‘s post-credits scene sets up an exciting future for the MCU with two Avengers teams confirmed to appear in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday. However, while I think the movie is fantastic and the post-credits scene got me excited for the franchise’s future, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was a lot of story potential being left behind by not showing what happened to New York City’s other heroes during the Void’s attack. Characters like Spider-Man and Daredevil being absent made the world feel smaller to me.

That is why I was so excited when one of Thunderbolts*‘s writers, Eric Pearson, spoke to ScreenRant about whether other MCU heroes were trapped by Thunderbolts*‘s the Void. However, I was disappointed by his answer, as Pearson revealed that he had not looked at New York City’s map to know exactly what characters could have been affected by the Void’s shadows. The Thunderbolts* writer chose to plead the fifth. After his comments, I don’t think that a possible Thunderbolts* sequel or other MCU events will explain the question. Check out the full quote below:

I’m going to take the fifth on that one. I haven’t looked at the map closely enough of where it went. I’m not sure if it went to Bleecker Street yet. But I also think that the time of it is happening so much faster than you expect. That expansion and retraction of time is different. As we say in Thor: Ragnarok, ‘Time works real different around here.’ When you’re in the Void Space, who knows how long it’s been? Maybe it’s been one second.

I Don’t Think We Will Ever See NYC’s Other Heroes Inside The Void Onscreen

There Are Many Moving Parts In The MCU’s Street-Level Side

There are a few good reasons why I believe the Thunderbolts* writer’s comments might have been the only opportunity to reveal whether New York’s other heroes were affected by the Void. There is a lot going on in the MCU right now, and even though key street-level characters like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil have solo projects coming in 2026, I think they will be too busy with their own storylines to touch on Thunderbolts*‘s the Void.

For instance, Thunderbolts* had so much going on that it never addressed how Kingpin has taken over New York City, invoking martial law, at the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 1. Since Daredevil will be building an army to fight back in season 2, exploring the Void makes little sense. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been dubbed by Tom Holland as a fresh start for the franchise, so going back to past traumas and Thunderbolts*‘s story seems a no-go. As such, the Void’s possible impact on other heroes is unlikely to ever be explored onscreen.

I Wish We Could Know What Happened To NYC’s Other Heroes During Thunderbolts*

The Story’s Potential Could Have Led To Powerful Moments

Peter Parker crying about Aunt May's death in Spider-Man No Way Home

Even if it had come through the Thunderbolts* writer’s comments, I would have loved to at least know whether New York City’s heroes were affected by the Void and possibly even what they had to see inside their trauma rooms. Sure, it would have been cool to see due to MCU connectivity, showing that since many heroes live in NYC, others must have been affected. However, heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil are among those with the most on-screen trauma, which is why they would have been perfect for the Void.

Confirmed Thunderbolts Cast Member	Character The Actor Plays
Sebastian Stan	James “Bucky” Barnes, A.K.A. The Winter Soldier
Florence Pugh	Yelena Belova, A.K.A. Black Widow
Wyatt Russell	John Walker, A.K.A. US Agent
David Harbour	Alexei Shostakov, A.K.A. Red Guardian
Hannah John-Kamen	Ava Starr, A.K.A. Ghost
Olga Kurylenko	Antonia Dreykov, A.K.A. Taskmaster
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine
Lewis Pullman	Bob (Sentry/The Void)
Geraldine Viswanathan	Mel

For instance, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker could have had to relive the deaths of Aunt May and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, letting go of Zendaya’s MJ, and more. As for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, Foggy Nelson and Elektra’s deaths would likely have been at the top of his mind, as he could not save them. By never seeing or knowing what New York’s other heroes went through during the Void’s takeover of the city, I feel like the MCU is wasting the potential for powerful character moments set up by Thunderbolts*.