Marvel Just Hired A Zombie Killer
Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead fame has been cast in Marvel's Thunderbolts.
Steven Yeun has played characters who’ve endured some brutal scenes over the years, including Glen Rhee in The Walking Dead whose tragic and graphic death scarred fans, and Jupe Park who was involved in the infamous “monkey scene” in Jordan Peele’s sci-fi thriller Nope. It seems like Yeun may be joining another action-packed franchise, although fans hope another gruesome death isn’t in the cards for his character. According to Deadline, Steven Yeun is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the film Thunderbolts.
Yeun will be making his MCU debut in Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts in what is described as “a part that is not only significant to this film but could also play a role going forward in future films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” This language has many fans speculating about who Yeun could be playing in the upcoming film.
The most popular theory is that Yeun will be playing Sentry, a sort of Marvel anti-hero version of Superman who must grapple with the dark power of an entity attached to him called The Void. Many believe that Sentry could serve as the antagonist of Thunderbolts and appear in subsequent films.
Another possible character is Amadeus Cho, who turns into Brawn, another version of the Hulk. This would make sense if Marvel were to announce the release of the Hulk-centric World War Hulk film that’s been rumored, however it seems unlikely that Marvel would introduce another Hulk character after recently introducing She-Hulk and and Hulk’s son Skaar in the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Thunderbolts is an upcoming film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe scheduled to release July 26, 2024. It features some big names led by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster, and Ayo Edebiri in an undisclosed role.
Thunderbolts are known as the one of the closest answers that the MCU has to DC‘s The Suicide Squad, although unlike their DC counterparts who have bombs implanted in their brains in order to ensure compliance, the Thunderbolts are meant to show the good that reformed villains and antiheroes can perform. With a rotating cast of characters and motives, it will be notable to see how the movie brings this iteration of the squad together, and what their overarching mission will entail.
Whoever Yeun is portraying in Thunderbolts, he brings a depth of acting talent that should make his performance one to look out for.
Steven Yeun is a South Korean American actor whose breakout role came when he played Glen Rhee, one of the most beloved characters on AMC’s hit zombie survival series The Walking Dead based on the comic book series of the same name. Glen was one of the main characters and survivors after the zombie outbreak, and served as an invaluable member of Rick’s crew until he left the show in Season Seven. The Walking Dead was one of the highest-rated series in cable television history, and has spawned numerous spinoff series including Fear the Walking Dead.
Outside of The Walking Dead and the upcoming Thunderbolts, Steven Yeun has had a number of roles which have garnered him critical acclaim, including a part in 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, a starring role and executive producer nod in 2020’s Minari, and recently Jordan Peele’s Nope. His starring role in Minari earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, becoming the first Asian American actor to receive this honor for either.
Yeun has a number of projects coming up, including co-starring alongside Ali Wong in the Netflix and A24 series Beef, as well as in 2024’s upcoming sci-fi thriller Mickey 17. With the actor’s profile rising, fans will be eager to hear more details about his role in Thunderbolts.
