Thunderbolts* original villain wasn't The Void and here's why I think it was a bad idea

Thunderbolts* introduced the character of The Void to an entirely new generation of moviegoers. He is the villain of the story and has a backstory different from the comic books. Jake Schreier has directed this 36th MCU film, while the screenplay is by Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson. Here's the official synopsis:

"After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts."

I have recently found out that Marvel was initially planning to have a different villain in Thunderbolts*.

Thunderbolts* original villain was not The Void

Thunderbolts*, also known as The New Avengers, is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Eric Pearson, who has co-written the film, recently gave an interview to Screen Rant where he revealed that the original villain of the story was not The Void/Sentry.

The original bad guy was John Walker aka U.S. Agent (played by Wyatt Russell), who is manipulated by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and turns into her mercenary. But the writer revealed that this character and the storyline were not aligning with the film's tone that deals with darkness. I couldn't agree more with their decision and I'm glad Marvel changed their villain.

The film has been praised for its depiction of mental health struggles. It's not glorifying the supervillains. Instead, we see them struggle with their past actions, and their shame is catching up to them. With U.S. Agent as its main villain, the film would have turned into another superhero film with a good vs. evil plotline that the viewers have seen nth times.

Senty, on the other hand, was at the receiving end of abuses from his father as a child. This made him resort to drugs, and he slowly became an addict. He then goes through a program that turns him into Sentry/The Void. The character is filled with darkness and can turn people into shadows.

This power also increases the stakes tenfold, which would not have been the same with John Walker as the main threat. With The Void and Yelena, the MCU finally gets to talk about important issues and show vulnerabilities in people, even if they have superpowers.

In his interview, Pearson spoke about the earlier villain of Thunderbolts*. He said,

"That version was kind of fun, but ultimately didn't work and didn't feel right tone-wise. I had already kind of layered in the whole Breakfast Club thing, so I was like, 'I want someone that they can't beat in a punching fight and that they have to connect to in an emotional way,'"

He added,

"I'd read the Sentry comics. In the comics, it's like the golden God of Good vs. Pure Evil. But I was like, 'What if it's heroic ambition and self-esteem versus self-loathing and depression and loneliness?' He's basically the entire journey for our heroes rolled into one entity. So, I put him in, and he fit so perfectly. Then it was all about finding and defining the Void space and stuff like that."

Do you feel The Void was a better choice for the villain in Thunderbolts*?