Lewis Pullman made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Robert Reynolds’ Sentry in Thunderbolts*, introduced as one of the most powerful and unmatched new characters, but there are some strong enough to take him down. Marvel Studios has adapted dozens of Marvel Comics’ most iconic and significant heroes into the MCU, but there are many more yet to come. Some of these missing MCU characters could have the power to go toe-to-toe with Robert Reynolds, even after he gained the power of a thousand exploding suns from the OXE Group’s experimental super-soldier serum.
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The Thunderbolts team – now named the New Avengers – proved incapable of defeating the Sentry’s dark alter ego, the Void, in Thunderbolts*. In fact, it was Robert Reynolds himself who managed to best the Void during their battle in one of his shame rooms, but there may be some characters soon coming to the MCU who do have the power to take on the Sentry. These five individuals are some of Marvel’s most formidable heroes, antiheroes, and villains, all of whom may change the power levels of the MCU forever and knock the Sentry off his pedestal.
5) Jean Grey’s Phoenix
When she’s imbued with the cosmic Phoenix Force, Jean Grey’s power is second only to some of Marvel’s more god-like entities, such as the Living Tribunal, the One Above All, and the Celestials. The Phoenix Force is the personification of creation itself, which makes Jean significantly more powerful than the Sentry with the cosmic energy running through her veins. Even without the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey is an omega-level telepathic and telekinetic mutant, and one of the X-Men’s founding members, and while perhaps not as physically strong as the Sentry, Jean could easily best him in battle in other ways.
4) Adam Brashear’s Blue Marvel
Adam Brashear’s ability to manipulate anti-matter and other energies is rooted to his connection to the Negative Zone, which far outweighs the power held by the Sentry thanks to a super-soldier serum. The outcomes of battles between Blue Marvel and the Sentry in Marvel Comics have varied, but Brashear is generally considered one of the physically strongest characters in Marvel Comics, so a battle of brawn would end with him on top, for sure. When considering Sentry’s telepathy, the outcome might be different, but Blue Marvel would certainly put up a fight, and would more than likely win the day.
3) Norrin Radd’s Silver Surfer
We have recently been introduced to Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer from Earth 828, which gave us a glimpse of the cosmic herald’s power. Norrin Radd’s Silver Surfer from Earth 616 would likely harbor these powers, too, which prove he would be significantly more powerful than the Sentry. Norrin Radd has all the Sentry’s powers and more in Marvel Comics, with his “stellar polymer” skin allowing him to travel through the void of space, and gifting him abilities such as phasing, matter manipulation, flight, immense speed, and more. His control over cosmic forces makes the Silver Surfer far stronger than the Sentry.
2) David Haller’s Legion
There is practically no limit to Legion’s power in Marvel Comics. The mutant antihero son of Professor X, David Haller can manipulate the very fabric of reality, to the point that he can “unmake” reality and fundamental existence at will. In the comics, his multiple personalities and advanced range of superpowers makes Legion a far more significant character than the Sentry, whose abilities pale in comparison to the mutant god-like being. Legion could simply blink the Sentry out of existence, though the pairs’ instability and mental health struggles would make the real outcome of their on-screen battle rather more unpredictable.
1) Owen Reece’s Molecule Man
Owen Reece is hugely important to 2015’s Secret Wars event in Marvel Comics, which means we might soon meet him in the MCU, if Doctor Doom tracks him down in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. This could bring Molecule Man and the Sentry face-to-face in the MCU, and adapt one of their many battles from Marvel Comics into live-action. Molecule Man has vast power: he can control the universe’s matter, harness any energy, and manipulate reality at will. Even the likes of Galactus fear Molecule Man, and the Sentry would prove to be no match for this formidable character.
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