Spoilers for Thunderbolts* (2025). The Void is Bob Reynolds’s dark alter ego—not a separate creature possessing him. After Bob undergoes Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s illicit Super-Soldier experiment, she presents him as Sentry; the Void is the darker side of the same person.
Who is the Void in Thunderbolts*?
Bob Reynolds, played by Lewis Pullman, is both the person Valentina’s experiment transforms and the source of the Void. Valentina promotes his powered identity as Sentry, but Bob’s darker side emerges as the Void. Disney’s interview with Pullman frames the personas as parts of one person rather than wholly separate characters.
Pullman said the performance had to connect the identities: “We were always very clear on the fact that we couldn’t have them be so separate that you could root for one and not for the others — that the audience understood that these were all derivatives of the same spirit and of the same person.” Read Disney’s interview with Lewis Pullman.
How does Bob become the Void?
In the film, Bob volunteers for Valentina’s secret Super-Soldier experiment. The procedure gives him extraordinary powers, and Valentina presents him as Sentry. His darker side then manifests as the Void, turning what seemed to be a powerful new ally into a threat to the Thunderbolts and others. The film’s premise is not that an unrelated monster takes over Bob; the conflict grows out of the different sides of Bob himself.
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Thunderbolts* is a 2025 Marvel superhero film. Disney UK lists its runtime as 2 hours 6 minutes and its UK cinema release date as 1 May 2025. Its synopsis follows Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker, who are caught in a death trap set by Valentina. See Disney UK’s film page.
What does the Void do?
In the film’s later events, the Void’s shadow engulfs people and pulls them into a reality shaped by painful memories. TIME’s spoiler recap describes this space as maze-like and connected to the victims’ worst memories and Bob’s traumatic past. Yelena navigates it and helps Bob escape. Read TIME’s spoiler explanation.
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This makes the Void more than a dark visual counterpart to Sentry: its threat is also psychological and personal within the story. The film’s central conflict turns on whether Bob can face what is happening within him, with help from the people around him.
How the film created the Void’s shadow form
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) says teams in San Francisco and Vancouver worked on Bob as both Sentry and the Void. The effects challenge was to make the Void feel like shadow while still letting details show through. ILM says development began in May 2023 and used a mix of 2D compositing and computer-generated assets.
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ILM also describes a continuous 45-second shot in which Sentry pushes Red Guardian through a window and back, a sequence that required months of pre- and post-production work. These are production details, not measures of the character’s powers. Read ILM’s account of the visual effects.
Why the story centers on connection
Director Jake Schreier described the film’s characters as people who have ended up somewhere they did not expect. In a D23 interview, he said the story asks: “Where do you go? Do you retreat into yourself, or do you find connection in others and move forward through that?” He characterized the film’s version of heroism as saving yourself and saving each other. Read the D23 interview with Jake Schreier.
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That framing helps explain why the Void’s story is tied to Bob’s relationships with the team, especially Yelena’s effort to reach him. The danger is real within the plot, but the emotional question is whether Bob can be helped rather than treated as a force wholly apart from himself.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the Void the same in the comics?
TIME’s brief summary of the comics describes Robert Reynolds becoming both Sentry and the Void after taking an experimental serum. That broad resemblance is not enough to establish a full account of the character’s comic-book history or a detailed comparison with the film. The explanation here is specifically about the 2025 movie.
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The movie’s post-release retitling as The New Avengers does not change Bob’s identity or the Void reveal. Disney’s interview with Pullman discusses the title twist, while Disney UK’s film page lists the title as Thunderbolts*.
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