Actor Steven Yeun addressed his upcoming role in Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts for the first time.
The upcoming film focuses on heroes with villainous backgrounds, starring Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Harrison Ford, with Ford taking over the role of Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: New World Order after the passing of actor William Hurt.
It was recently reported that the Walking Dead star would be joining the film in an unknown role but was rumored to be Sentry.
The character has superpowers similar to that of DC's Superman and could be the leading adversary for the newly assembled Thunderbolts team.
Steven Yeun Explains Why He's Joining the MCU
In a recent interview with Empire, Steven Yeun revealed that a key reason he's joining the Thunderbolts cast is to work once again with director Jake Schreier. The two previously collaborated on the upcoming Netflix series Beef.
The 39-year-old actor said he didn't know if joining the MCU "was explicitly on my bucket list." He said the story and Schreier's intentions for his character in Thunderbolts are mainly the reasons for hopping on board:
"The intentions of the particular character that they wanted me to play were very clear, and that’s what drew me to the film.”
Will Steven Yeun Stay in the MCU?
Most would agree that Steven Yeun is another great addition to the MCU, specifically featured in the upcoming Thunderbolts film which has plenty of star power.
However, based on his first comments surrounding his introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it may be short-lived. Joining a project for the director is normally a good idea in terms of story-telling, but it may indicate that Yeun would pass on other Marvel opportunities.
Especially if factoring in that he could be playing Sentry or his evil alter-ego the Void, the plans for this character and actor might be just for this solo film.
Yeun has become a popular name in recent memory, specifically for his voice acting in Invincible and a screen-stealing performance in Nope alongside Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya.
Could Yeun be an MCU name stay or conclude his story at the end of Marvel's answer to The Suicide Squad?
Thunderbolts is set to premiere into theaters on July 26, 2024.
