The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year have disrupted much of Hollywood’s production schedules, with countless projects having been delayed as a result. One of the lingering effects of the prolonged work stoppage is now being felt by the already struggling Marvel Studios.
The upcoming Thunderbolts film has reportedly lost one of its biggest stars as Steven Yeun dropped out of the project. According to a report by Deadline, the actor is leaving the movie due to scheduling issues as the Hollywood strikes delayed production.
It was reportedly last year that Yeun joined the MCU as Sentry, a member of the Thunderbolts team. The casting was never officially confirmed by Marvel. It is currently unclear whether Marvel will be looking for another actor to replace Yeun or remove the character entirely from the film.
Yeun rose to stardom as one of the protagonists in The Walking Dead. The actor also lent his voice to Amazon’s animated adaptation of Invincible. His most recent project is the Netflix limited TV series Beef, for which Yeun was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Gloden Globe award for his role in the TV show.
The departure of Yeun from the project highlights the lasting impact of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA on the movie industry. The Thunderbolts was originally slated for release on June 26, 2024, but the disruption caused by the strikes has delayed production significantly and the movie hasn’t even started filming.
According to previous rumors, Sentry and the 7-member anti-hero team will be sent to retrieve adamantium from the body of the dead Celestial Tiamut. However, Sentry starts hearing voices and turns on the team.
The Thunderbolts will have their hands full in trying to contain one of the most powerful beings in the entire MCU. If the rumors are correct that Sentry will be the main villain in Thunderbolts, production may be pushed back even more as Marvel copes with the departure. Hopefully, the studio will find an actor of Yuen’s caliber to take on the role soon so that the cameras can start rolling.
Thunderbolts isn’t the only Marvel film suffering a delay – the entire 2024 movie lineup, which initially included Captain America: Brave New World, Blade, and Thunderbolts, was pushed back to 2025 as a result of the prolonged strikes.
A rather shocking effect of this is that Deadpool 3 will be the only movie in the MCU’s calendar for all of 2024. Marvel is reportedly betting all the marbles on Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s debut in the MCU. Captain America 4 will be closing out Phase 5 while Blade and Thunderbolts will be part of Phase 6.
Jake Schreier has been hired to direct Thunderbolts with Eric Pearson writing the screenplay. The film features Marvel mainstay Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier alongside returning characters David Harbour as Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The movie will also introduce Harrison Ford as the new General Thunderbolt Ross.
Thunderbolts is scheduled to be released on July 25, 2025.
