Thunderbolts*

are no more, as Marvel pulled the rug on those who have not seen the movie over its opening weekend with a huge spoiler that began taking over marketing for the movie on Monday. After just a few days in cinemas, Thunderbolts* has lost its asterisk and its original title, with posters and billboards now all declaring the team as The New Avengers.
While the move has puzzled many people, director Jake Schreier explained that it was “all part of the plan” for the movie, and after a year of hiding the real title behind that asterisk, the time was right for things to be changed. He told The New York Times:

“It felt like, if Val is also trying to pull a switcheroo and sell the New Avengers to the world, we could do that, too. Especially given that the asterisk has been on the movie for a year, hopefully it doesn’t feel sweaty — it feels like this was a plan and we built up to it.”

Related

Original ‘Thunderbolts*’ Post-Credits Scene Idea Featured Return of Classic ‘Captain America’ Villain

Some MCU fans will be very, very disappointed to hear who did not make the cut in ‘Thunderbolts*.’

In the latest Marvel movie, the group of misfits initially known as Thunderbolts end up being tricked into attending a press conference where Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine announces them as the New Avengers in a move that is almost identical to the title switch that has been performed on the movie itself. Life imitating art and all that.
The New Avengers Will Return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Disney

Marvel are now in their own endgame for a second time, with the Multiverse Saga speeding towards its conclusion in the next two years with several big movies, including two Avengers films that will bring together, and potentially kill off, almost all the characters that have been brought into the MCU over the last 17 years.
Among them will be the members of the New Avengers that survived the movie, including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker, and Lewis Pullman’s Sentry. What role they will play in Avengers: Doomsday is yet to be revealed, but the post-credits scene of the movie has already shown exactly where they will be at the start of the movie.
As revealed prior to the movie’s release, the movie ends with a post-credits scene that finds the New Avengers contemplating their future as the world’s potential saviors. The scene comes to an end as the group witness a spaceship breaking through the atmosphere, bringing The Fantastic Four into the MCU ahead of the coming battle with Doctor Doom.
Marvel Studios may still not be seeing astronomical returns in their theatrical releases, with Thunderbolts/The New Avengers having taken less than Captain America: Brave New World on its opening weekend, but the film has managed to gain some high praise in its reviews from both critics and audiences – a rare feat. It is hard to imagine that The Fantastic Four: First Steps – with much greater name recognition than the Thunderbolts – will struggle to hit a decent box office this summer, and with a new Spider-Man movie and two Avengers films to come, Marvel Studios will not be too worried right now.
Source: The New York Times

Thunderbolts*

3
/5

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

126 Minutes

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe