Years before Thunderbolts*, Lewis Pullman was supposed to star in two other Marvel movies

Lewis Pullman has earned well-deserved praise for his performance in Thunderbolts*. He is the beating heart of this Marvel film that revolves around heavier topics of mental health and childhood trauma. It connects his character with the other battered antiheroes from the New Avengers, who have also been through their fair share of hardships. However, now that it’s been a few weeks since its release, we can finally say this without worrying about spoiling the detail for non-Marvel fans.

Lewis Pullman plays Bob, Sentry, and the Void — and captures their distinct innate nature. However, years before being in this MCU project, he was being considered for two other roles in Marvel movies. One was Ned Leeds in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movies, and the other was an undisclosed role in Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The actor has seemingly confirmed auditioning for one of these roles but doesn’t recall auditioning for the other.

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Lewis Pullman was supposed to enter the Marvel universe many years before Thunderbolts*

Lewis Pullman reportedly auditioned for the role of Ned Leeds in the recent Spider-Man movies. The update comes from Marvel’s casting director Sarah Finn, who spoke about it with IGN after the release of Thunderbolts*. The role eventually went to Jacob Batalon, who brought his own spin to the character. He portrayed Ned as an overzealous geek, which fit seamlessly with Tom Holland’s boyish charm.

It’s difficult to imagine Lewis Pullman as Ned opposite Tom Holland’s Peter. Considering his dramatic acting chops, Pullman might have overshadowed Holland. He also looks somewhat similar to Holland, which might have confused viewers seeing them next to each other. On the other hand, Batalon brings his own charisma and comical chops to the table, which might have worked in his favor during auditions.

However, Pullman doesn’t remember auditioning for a role in Spider-Man, according to his recent conversation with YouTuber Kristian Harloff. During this interview, Pullman mentions auditioning for another Marvel role. He recalls having auditioned for a role in Kraven the Hunter, but cannot remember which role specifically. While this Aaron Taylor-Johnson starrer is not an MCU movie, it is still based on Marvel Comics and presents a villain in the Spider-Man universe.

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Lewis Pullman didn't get to play two Marvel roles, so he played three in Thunderbolts*

Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova drives the story of Thunderbolts* into the region of trauma-bonding. However, the film also resonates because of Lewis Pullman’s remarkable performance. He gets to play not one, not two, but three characters. Although they technically are three versions of the same person, they have distinct identities, and Pullman manages to portray them with uncommon ease.

Bob is a kind-hearted soul who gets exploited by CIA director Val (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) for a scientific experiment. She hopes to turn him into a replacement for the Avengers. This leads him to become Sentry, a transformed version capable of things beyond anyone’s imagination. He is invincible — which might be a reason why Steven Yeun was once considered for this role. Who knows?

Sentry is similar in nature to Bob. He understands the value of humanity and does not see the point in harming the Thunderbolts*, who helped him get out of Val’s suicide trap. Val uses him just like a machine you can turn on or off as you please. That leads to his transformation into the all-consuming Void.

Considering the impressive range Pullman portrays through this Thunderbolts* performance, it’s not difficult to see him playing more demanding roles even within the universe. However, for now, he is excited about his future in the franchise. He told GamesRadar+:

"I'm so excited because, you know, I had to kind of prepare myself for the possibility that this might just be a kind of one-and-done situation. It's kind of like breaking open a whole new room and being like, oh my god, [my] house is actually bigger, and now I get to figure out what I do with that space."

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Also read: Thunderbolts* was supposed to have two different villains