Move aside, Scarlet Witch. See you later, Doctor Strange. The MCU has a new strongest superhero. And his name is Sentry.
Following Steven Yeun’s surprise exit, Lewis Pullman has signed up to join the cast of Thunderbolts as the aforementioned walking atom bomb of a character. Although he’s often called Marvel’s answer to Superman, in truth he’s closer to the godlike Doctor Manhattan from Watchmen, only with Thor’s luscious blond locks and without the indecent exposure. The potential for him in this franchise is virtually limitless, and maybe he could help rehabilitate another powerhouse hero who’s in need of some rescuing.
Namely, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. But why is Sentry the one to pair her up with next? Don’t tell, Disney Plus, but Apple TV Plus holds the answer…
Lessons in Chemistry could teach Marvel a thing or two about pairing up Captain Marvel and Sentry
The curious thing about Lewis Pullman’s casting — apart from the fact he’s one of half a dozen Top Gun: Maverick actors to appear in the Marvel multiverse — is that he’s only just shared the screen with an established MCU icon. Pullman appeared opposite Larson in Lessons in Chemistry, the period drama miniseries, in which the pair play scientists who embark on a complex and tragic romance.
If you haven’t seen the show yet, do yourself a favor and fix that ASAP as Larson and Pullman each turn in one of the finest performances of their career and they enjoy a scintillating, well, chemistry of their own. It’s honestly enough to make you want to see the duo reunite in the MCU. Especially as Captain Marvel and Sentry coming together would make them Earth-616’s ultimate power couple.
Sentry’s whole deal is that he struggles to get a handle on his immense abilities — which is refreshing as that tends to be a flaw reserved for Marvel’s female characters (see Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, etc). In The Marvels, Carol Danvers went on an important journey of learning to accept the responsibility she bears and also to reach out to others instead of closing herself off. She would be the perfect person to help the Sentry heal and grow as a hero.
In another sense, pairing Captain Marvel with Sentry would be a smart way to revitalize the heroine given that the failure of The Marvels means we’re unlikely to have her team up with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan again. I’m not saying they have to make Carol and Robert Reynolds a romantic couple — we all know she belongs with Valkyrie — but some kind of unlikely partnership between the Avengers’ two biggest assets could cause a chemical reaction that might just reinvigorate the MCU.
Here endeth the lesson.