Invincible creator accidentally leaks Steven Yeun’s massive MCU role

Cameron Frew
Steven Yeun in The Walking Dead and Sentry in the Marvel comics

Steven Yeun is joining the MCU for the Thunderbolts movie – and now, thanks to Invincible creator Robert Kirkman, we know exactly who he’s playing.

Yeun is best known for his role as Glenn in The Walking Dead, also created by Kirkman. However, he made his debut as a superhero outside the realms of DC and Marvel in 2021: Mark Grayson, aka Invincible.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Yeun was set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Thunderbolts, essentially the franchise’s Suicide Squad, with rumors swirling over exactly which role he’d be taking on.

The actor stayed mum on any specifics, describing the role as “interesting,” lest he incur the wrath of Kevin Feige and his Marvel snipers. Alas, the secret is out, thanks to Kirkman.

Robert Kirkman reveals Steven Yeun is Sentry in Thunderbolts

Kirkman confirmed that Yeun will play Sentry in Thunderbolts in a recent interview with David Finch.

Speaking to the artist as he sketched a drawing of Omni-Man, he said: “My good friend Steven Yeun is playing the Sentry in a movie. He called me, he went in for a costume fitting.”

At this point, he caught himself, realizing that what he’d said could be a spoiler – but he also didn’t care. “I don’t think this is a spoiler or anything that’ll get anybody in trouble… I don’t know, maybe, we’ll see, I don’t work for Marvel – what are they going to do to me?” he added.

Yeun had joked with Kirkman over the phone that Sentry’s costume is yellow and blue, much like Invincible’s current suit in the series.

Sentry isn’t like other Marvel characters. He’s essentially that world’s Superman, but he attained his extraordinary abilities (superhuman strength, agility, durability, speed, senses, “molecularkinesis”, and flight) from the same Super Soldier Serum as Captain America – only this time, its potency had been strengthened by 100,000. In the comics, he’s capable of tapping into the power of a million exploding suns.

It’s been rumored that Sentry will be the big bad that forces the Thunderbolts to work together in the film, but no specific plot details have been confirmed.

In an earlier roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Yeun discussed how he ended up getting cast. “It kind of came together in a weird way. Jake Schreier, who did episodes of Beef, he got the gig to direct it and he kinda saw me for this role, and I read the role, and I was like ‘This is actually a really interesting role, I’d be down to explore this,'” he explained.

“I think it’s less about now checking things off a bucket list and more looking at an experience. It’s more like ‘Do I want to experience that?’ Putting it out is a whole nother thing that I’m gonna have to prepare for afterwards, but in the immediate, I’m just down to just experience that experience.”

Thunderbolts will hit cinemas on July 25, 2025. You can find out more here.

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About The Author

Cameron is Deputy TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an action movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, and Oscars enthusiast. He loves Invincible, but he's also a fan of The Boys, the MCU, The Chosen, and much more. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.