Why Steven Yeun Won’t Star In Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ Movie As The Sentry

Yeun is out!

Steven Yeun Marvel Thunderbolts

Steven Yeun was set to join Marvel in their upcoming anti-hero ensemble project Thunderbolts as The Sentry. However, Yeun’s Marvel Cinematic Universe tenure came to an end before it could even start.

In 2023, Steven Yeun joined the MCU with Thunderbolts. While his role had been kept under wraps, it’s been largely rumored that he would be playing the experimental superman known as The Sentry. For many, Yeun’s involvement was the main draw for the film. However, in a recent statement released this past Wednesday, the actor confirmed his departure from the Marvel project due to delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

“I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it. But Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job,” Yeun told Variety. “I wanna do a Marvel movie…It took a lot of drafts on email to make sure that I conveyed the sincerity of how sorry I was to have to back out.”

When asked if he would be interested in joining the MCU in the future, Steven Yeun added “I think it’s too early to say that. I probably pissed off too many people leaving, so I’m just gonna say, ‘Thank you for having me.'”

“I have some ideas,” Yeun concluded. “But I heard if you put it out there, you’ll never get it, so I’ll keep it close to my chest.”

It’s certainly a shame that Steven Yeun won’t be appearing in Thunderbolts, regardless of whether he would actually be playing The Sentry. He’s already made a big splash in the superhero world with projects like Invincible and would have surely made a splash in this film thanks to his prior collaboration with Jake Schreier on Beef. Here’s to hoping that if Marvel ever pursues one of Yeun’s ideas, they give him a call.

Who is attached to the Thunderbolts movie?

During Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation in July, it was revealed that Jake Schreier would direct the upcoming Thunderbolts project. Eric Pearson, the writer for Black Widow, had previously written a draft of the script before being replaced by Lee Sung Jin.

Thunderbolts features a star-studded cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as the Ghost, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes and Harrison Ford as Thunderbolt Ross. Ayo Edebir and Steven Yeun are also on board in undisclosed roles.

Thunderbolts is currently set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Anthony Singletary

Anthony Singletary

Anthony has always had a love for stories. An aspiring screenwriter and video editor, he takes pride in connecting fans with the latest heroic news!