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The MCU’s Original Sentry Actor Could Still Have a Marvel Future After Recasting
2026 is proving to be a huge year for film and television—especially superhero films, with Avengers: Doomsday slated for release this December. It’s rumored that Doomsday will be the biggest Avengers film to date, no small shoes to fill after the ensemble madhouses that were Infinity War and Endgame. And with the second season of the critically acclaimed Beef debuting soon, it’s no wonder that the actor who starred in the first season of the series, and almost starred in the MCU, is back on people’s minds.
Steven Yeun, who skyrocketed to fame playing fan-favorite Glen Rhee on The Walking Dead, captivated and repulsed critics and audiences alike with his performance as Danny in Beef. And now the fact that he almost starred as Sentry in Thunderbolts* is back at the forefront, and people are curious if there’s any chance for Yeun to appear in the MCU, or possibly, the X-Men. The answer? “I love Steven very dearly, and he’s one of the very best actors that we have, so, I mean, I would never not be looking for places to [cast him]—but no specifics,” says Jake Schreier, the director of Thunderbolts* and the upcoming X-Men film, who also worked on Beef alongside Yeun.
Yeun Would Be an Incredible Addition to the MCU
Speaking about his experience working with Schrier, as well as whether he’d seen Thunderbolts*, Yeun told MovieWeb, “I did. I love Jake, Jake Schreier, incredible human director. I did [see it] and I never say never. I’m around.” The reason that Yeun didn’t play Sentry? Scheduling conflicts that emerged after the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, and the role ultimately ended up going to Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick). There have been some dramatic exits from the MCU, so knowing that Yeun’s was amicable means that there’s definitely potential for him to return, especially as Schrier is responsible for the universe’s future with the X-Men.
Speaking about what he plans to do with the X-Men, Schrier says, “We are aiming to do something that feels like a fresh start and going for something that feels new. And, really, something that Kevin has pushed for is this idea of, ‘What can we do within this world?’ It’s such a massive world, and I’ve spent the year just rereading a ton of it, like the entire [Chris] Claremont run and so many different … the great work that Grant Morrison did.”
Would you like to see Steven Yeun in the MCU? What role would you like to see him in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other Marvel fans are saying.
