In an interesting marketing move, Marvel Studios has revealed what the asterisk in the Thunderbolts* title actually means across their various social media platforms. Ever since the official title was announced to have the symbol/punctuation mark in it, there has been endless speculation about what exactly it meant for the team and what happens in the film. Many of the aesthetically pleasing marketing materials have had their designs based on the asterisk. Now, Marvel has gone ahead and taken the Thunderbolts* title out of the posters for the movie, which essentially spoils the big moment at the end of the film right before the credits roll.
After Yelena (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Bucky (Sebastian Stan), and Ghost (Hannah John Kamen) bring Bob (Lewis Pullman) back from the void, the team attempts to confront Valentina (Julia Luis Dreyfus), who unwittingly brought them together after trying to kill them to cover up project Sentry. However, Valentina pulls the rug out from under the group when she brings all the characters in front of an impromptu press conference and introduces them as The New Avengers. The credits sequence after the movie features a fun text effect, where the Thunderbolts* logo is ripped away to reveal a crisp New Avengers logo.

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Marvel Studios’ social media accounts have taken this new team name to heart, posting plenty of new videos on Instagram, X, and other platforms showcasing the cast of Thunderbolts* celebrating their new status as Avengers. It’s an interesting move to spoil the film’s biggest surprise right after the opening weekend. Still, this new marketing push could be what Marvel Studios needs to get more people in theaters to check the film out.
‘Thunderbolts*’ Has Revealed Its Biggest Surprise

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Director Jake Scherier never intended for the asterisk to be that big of a deal, but his initial pitch for the movie that included the symbol had inspired the studio to go even further with it, as he would tell Entertainment Weekly: “I thought it would be a small thing — we should have one sign, put an asterisk on it, and say, ‘Until we come up with something better.’ And then they really ran with that and embraced that. At this studio, with the amount of attention paid to it, it’s a place where you could pull off something like that.”
The result has been some amusing social media posts, with one featuring Sebastian Stan that has the actor going to posters put up at bust stops and changing them with the New Avengers title on them. There is also a video filmed at the premiere, but only shared today by Marvel’s socials, with Florence Pugh tearing off the Thunderbolts* logo on a poster to reveal the New Avengers graphic underneath.

It’s interesting to consider whether the film’s opening weekend box office performance affected the timing of the reveal. There is always the chance that including the word Avengers in the marketing could help boost the hype around the film and get even more people to see it in theaters. Overall, the build-up and hype surrounding Thunderbolts’* unconventional title was worth the wait, with the film delivering a heartfelt story and fun ending that justified all the mystery and intrigue surrounding it.
Source – Entertainment Weekly, Instagram

Thunderbolts*

3
/5

Release Date

May 2, 2025

Runtime

126 Minutes

Writers

Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe