Steven Yeun recently addressed his departure from Marvel’s upcoming movie “Thunderbolts,” marking his first statement since the news broke. The Beef star’s exit from the project, reported earlier this week, was a result of several factors, primarily linked to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that significantly impacted the industry throughout 2023.
Reflecting on his withdrawal, Steven shared, “I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it.”
While expressing regret for stepping away, he praised the director, Jake Schreier, expressing confidence in Schreier’s ability to deliver an exceptional movie in his stead. “I know Jake is going to do an incredible job,” he acknowledged.
Yeun acknowledged the challenging process of conveying his sincerity in having to step back from the project, mentioning the multiple email drafts it took to articulate his regret over the situation. “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.
I probably pissed off too many people leaving, so I’m just gonna say, ‘Thank you for having me.’”
He also expressed his desire to collaborate on a Marvel film in the future, despite the current circumstances. “I wanna do a Marvel movie,” he exclaimed, indicating his ongoing interest in joining a Marvel project down the line.
When questioned about his potential future involvement with Marvel, Steven remained tight-lipped, suggesting that it was too early for him to outline any specifics. He hinted at having ideas but opted to keep them close to his chest, alluding to the notion that sometimes vocalizing intentions can affect their fruition. “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,” he elaborated.
The actor was rumored to play Sentry in “Thunderbolts,” a character who, in the Marvel Universe, embodies both superhero and supervillain traits as Sentry and the Void, respectively. Sentry reportedly boasts an array of powers, including superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, and various other abilities such as energy manipulation, flight, telepathy, and a healing factor, among others.
While Steven Yeun’s exit from “Thunderbolts” left fans and industry insiders disappointed, his sincerity and regret over the situation were palpable. Despite the setback, his keen interest in exploring future opportunities within the Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps the door open for potential collaborations down the line. As Yeun navigates this chapter of his career, fans eagerly anticipate his next projects and potential endeavors on the horizon.
