MCU Phase 4's Super Soldiers Could Setup Marvel's Superman

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will bring new names into its cast of heroes, and the Disney Plus series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier presents an opportunity to set up Marvel's Superman, the Sentry. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, scheduled for a 2021 release, will tell the story of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) navigating a world in which Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is no longer Captain America. Though Steve passed the shield to Sam in Avengers: Endgame, trailers show that the government has other plans, in the form of John Walker (Wyatt Russell). Walker, also known as U.S. Agent, will be introduced to the MCU as a government-backed successor to Captain America.

In the comics, U.S. Agent underwent Super Soldier-like augmentation to replace Captain America, though he bought his own powers. However, he is not the only Marvel character to be granted experimental powers related to the Super Soldier Serum. The Sentry, also known as Robert Reynolds, was first introduced to comics in 2000 as Marvel's answer to Superman. He was given "the power of one million exploding suns" after accidentally ingesting a hyper-concentrated version of the serum. The Sentry has a wide range of powers, including super-strength, flight, and energy blasts, putting him on a similar strength level to Superman. Like the DC hero, Sentry is a powerful, self-sacrificing force for good. However, he was first seen as an aging alcoholic who had forgotten his own heroism. Even after his identity as Sentry was restored, he continued to suffer from psychological problems. He is haunted by his dark alternate personality, the Void, whose destructive agenda led to Sentry's memory, being wiped to protect the Earth.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier seems primed to explore the history of the Super Soldier Program, along with its imitations and other enhanced beings it produced. This presents a perfect opportunity for the Sentry to enter the picture as an older, failed experiment.

The death of Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) - the creator of the original Super Soldier Serum - sent governments on both sides of World War II into a frenzy to recreate his formula. This led to HYDRA's creation of the Winter Soldiers, the first being Bucky Barnes. The United States Armed Forces also tried their hand at making their own serum, as seen in The Incredible Hulk, when soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), later known as Abomination, received it. However, the replicated serums were often imperfect, leading to Blonsky's mental degradation and deformation when given a high dosage. It is likely that the United States government continued to experiment with the serum, possibly on John Walker. Other failed Super Soldier trials by the government may have resulted in flawed creations, one of which could be Sentry.

Robert Reynolds' age could place him perfectly as an even earlier experiment than Walker or Blonsky. His powers beyond those typically associated with Super Soldier Serum could be a product of alterations on Erskine's formula to create even stronger fighters, with his persistent mental health issues serving as a dark side effect of the process. This version of the Sentry could have also had his memories erased before seeing active duty when the government noticed the emergence of the Void.

With his split personality, the Sentry could make a powerful and complex ally or enemy of Sam and Bucky. Still, Sentry only scratches the surface of Marvel characters enhanced with versions of the Super Soldier Serum. A deep dive into the Super Soldier Program's history opens up endless possibilities for new characters to be introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Phase Four of the MCU as a whole.

Next: MCU Theory: Falcon & Winter Soldier Brings Back Incredible Hulk Characters