Steven Yeun Explains Why He Left Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’
Marvel fans were shocked to learn yesterday that Steven Yeun was exiting Thunderbolts.
Last February, it was reported that the Walking Dead star would enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the upcoming Jake Schrier film. Thunderbolts will see the formation of a new kind of Avengers — a team of anti-heroes.
While the exact nature of Yeun’s role in the film was unknown, rumors circulated that he would be playing Sentry in the film.
‘Thunderbolts’ Has Been Delayed Following the WGA Strike
Unfortunately, Thunderbolts paused production in May due to the WGA strike and has not begun filming.
With the film now set to hit theaters in 2025, the timing no longer lined up for Yeun.
“I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it,” Yeun explained. “But Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job.”
While Yeun eventually decided that he could no longer make Thunderbolts work, it was not an easy decision for the actor.
“It took a lot of drafts on email to make sure that I conveyed the sincerity of how sorry I was to have to back out,” Yeun said.
Yeun Still Wants to Be in a Marvel Movie
Although Yeun will not make his MCU debut in Thunderbolts as many had hoped, the actor would still be open to making a Marvel movie.
“I wanna do a Marvel movie,” he said.
So, what film would Yeun like to appear in?
“I think it’s too early to say that. And I probably pissed off too many people leaving, so I’m just gonna say, ‘Thank you for having me,’” he began.
“I have some ideas. But I heard if you put it out there, you’ll never get it, so I’ll keep it close to my chest.”
The Steven Yeun-less Thunderbolts will debut on July 25, 2025.