Recasting MCU Sentry: 10 Actors Who Could Replace Steven Yeun In Marvel’s Thunderbolts

Steven Yeun will no longer be playing the Sentry in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thunderbolts project, but there are several brilliant actors who could take his place in the MCU. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige announced the development of Thunderbolts in July 2022, with the crossover films marking the returns of David Harbour, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, Olga Kurylenko, Wyatt Russell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a new team of superhuman antiheroes and reformed villains. The MCU’s Thunderbolts is set to release on July 25, 2025, but the project has recently undergone some cast changes, as Steven Yeun has dropped out from his highly-anticipated MCU role.

The Walking Dead and Invincible star Steven Yeun joined the cast of Thunderbolts in February 2023 in an undisclosed role, though there was widespread speculation that Yeun would be playing Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry. These rumors were all but confirmed when Yeun’s collaborator and friend Robert Kirkman revealed Yeun had attended a costume fitting for Sentry. However, on January 2, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Steven Yeun has dropped out of Thunderbolts, citing scheduling conflicts following the project’s delays amid 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Sentry is still expected to appear in Thunderbolts, and there are several strong candidates to replace Yeun in the role.

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10 Alexander Skarsgård Has The Perfect Look For Sentry

True Blood (2008), Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021), The Northman (2022)

Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård looks far more similar to Marvel Comics’ depiction of the Sentry than Steven Yeun, fit with the long blonde hair and muscular physique. Skarsgård’s role in Robert Eggers’ The Northman saw him perfectly inhabit the brutality, realism and strength of the warrior Amleth, which could translate perfectly into the MCU’s Sentry. Marvel Comics’ Robert Reynolds is a complicated character with a dark alter ego, so whoever takes over the role in Thunderbolts needs to be able to demonstrate the terrifying personality of the Void while also proving the Sentry to be one of the world’s strongest and most formidable heroes.

9 Andrew Koji Has The Action Experience For The MCU’s Sentry

Snake Eyes (2021), Bullet Train (2022), Boy Kills World (2023)

Famous for his roles in Warrior, Snake Eyes and Bullet Train, Andrew Koji has become a recent popular fan-cast for the role of Sentry in the MCU. Koji has often taken on the role of a fighter, using his martial arts background to inform his effective fighting scenes. This perhaps sets Koji up as the perfect candidate for Sentry. Marvel Studios has often taken actors at the beginnings of their careers and skyrocketed them to fame, and Andrew Koji could soon see this treatment, as his mainstream career is only just taking foot. Koji’s skill, magnetism and strong physicality would help to bring a charismatic Sentry into the MCU.

8 Boyd Holbrook Could Boost His Career With Sentry

Narcos (2015), Logan (2017), The Sandman (2022)

Boyd Holbrook is known for his action-heavy roles in projects such as Narcos, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and The Sandman, and the Sentry would give him the opportunity to show even more range. Holbrook has already ventured into the world of superheroes, having portrayed the villainous Donald Pierce in 2017’s Logan and Miracle Guy in 2020’s We Can Be Heroes opposite Pedro Pascal – who has also recently been rumored for an MCU role. Boyd Holbrook has proven his talent for over two decades, but he is still far from a household name, so portraying the Sentry in the MCU could bring a boost to his career.

7 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Could Lean Into Sentry’s Villainous Side

Game Of Thrones (2011), Mama (2013), Domino (2019)

Perhaps most famous for his role of Jaime Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been a popular name suggested to replace Steven Yeun as the MCU’s Sentry. The Danish actor has a long history of starring in action, sci-fi and thriller projects, making a role in the MCU imminent for the Gods of Egypt and The SIlencing star. Coster-Waldau could lean into his more villainous typecasts to deliver the Sentry’s alter ego, the Void, with drama, intensity and impact. Since the Sentry has been suspected to be the Thunderbolts’ first villain in the MCU’s Phase 6, Coster-Waldau could be perfect for the role.

6 Ryan Hurst Has Expressed Interest In Playing Sentry

Sons Of Anarchy (2008), The Walking Dead (2019), The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021)

Ryan Hurst is perhaps an unconventional choice to portray the Sentry in the MCU’s Thunderbolts, yet it’s the actor’s own interest in portraying the superhuman Marvel Comics hero that makes him a clear candidate. Back in 2021, Hurst shared many pieces of fan art imagining him as the Sentry on his Instagram, expressing his direct interest in joining the MCU, so it’s possible that this could finally come to fruition in Thunderbolts. Hurst is best known for portraying Gerry Bertier in Remember the Titans, Opie Winston in Sons of Anarchy and Beta in The Walking Dead, but also voiced the hardened Thor in 2022’s God of War Ragnarök video game.

5 Keanu Reeves Can Deliver A Dramatic Version Of Sentry

Point Break (1991), Constantine (2005), John Wick (2014)

Many have wanted legendary actor Keanu Reeves to join the MCU for several years, and there has been a huge amount of speculation about which Marvel Comics characters he could portray. While popular fan casts suggest Reeves could debut as the MCU’s Ghost Rider, Wolverine and the demon Mephisto, Reeves would also be the perfect casting for Thunderbolts’ Sentry. Reeves has the dramatic ability to portray the layered and complex character of Robert Reynolds, but also has the physique, likability and action experience to take on such a demanding role. Sentry would be set up for a lengthy MCU future if Keanu Reeves portrays the character in Phase 6.

4 Charlie Hunnam’s Previous Action Roles Make Him Perfect For Sentry

Sons Of Anarchy (2008), Pacific Rim (2013), The Gentlemen (2019)

Like Keanu Reeves, Charlie Hunnam has also been regularly fan-cast in a variety of roles in the MCU, including the likes of Captain Britain, Wolverine and the X-Men member Iceman. Hunnam’s experience in action projects such as Triple Frontier and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword have set him up perfectly for a role in the MCU, and his work in sci-fi projects including Pacific Rim and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire prove that he is capable of taking on a more mystical role such as the Sentry. Hunnam has been speculated to portray DC’s Green Arrow, so a role in the MCU could be unlikely.

3 Antony Starr Has Portrayed A Similar Hero To Sentry Already

Wish You Were Here (2012), Banshee (2013), The Boys (2019)

New Zealand actor Antony Starr hit mainstream success as Homelander in Amazon Prime Video’s superhero satire The Boys, which is actually a role eerily similar to that of the Sentry. Both Homelander and the Sentry have dark sides, and while the Sentry also has a heroic, good persona while Homelander perhaps does not, Antony Starr has proven himself capable of delivering both sides of this spectrum. Antony Starr’s 2022 controversy may deter Marvel Studios from casting him in any upcoming project, particularly after Jonathan Majors’ December 2023 conviction and firing, but Starr’s potential casting as the Sentry in Thunderbolts could still be perfect.

2 Ryan Gosling Has Been Rumored For The MCU

Drive (2011), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Barbie (2023)

Ryan Gosling has long been rumored to be joining the MCU, not least because he has the perfect appearance for many of Marvel Comics’ superheroes, including the Sentry. It has recently been reported that Gosling is once again in talks with Marvel Studios to join the MCU (via The Hollywood Handle), though it’s unclear who he could portray, as some popular choices have placed him as Quasar, Nova, Cyclops and Ghost Rider. As one of the hottest names in Hollywood, Ryan Gosling would be a fantastic addition to Thunderbolts’ cast, bringing a level of credibility and screen presence to the project that could benefit the wider world of Marvel Studios.

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1 Henry Cavill Could Return As A New Superhero

Man Of Steel (2013), Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), The Witcher (2019)

British actor Henry Cavill is perhaps best known for portraying Superman in the DC Extended Universe, kicking off the franchise in 2013’s Man of Steel. The Sentry has often been referred to as Marvel’s version of Superman, meaning Henry Cavill could seek redemption by making the move to the MCU and playing Robert Reynolds. Cavill has delivered other strong performances in action and fantasy projects, such as Mission: Impossible – Fallout and The Witcher, and many want to see him return to a superhero franchise. With Steven Yeun departing from Thunderbolts, it would be great to see Henry Cavill join the MCU and replace him as the Sentry.